Seen and Unforeseen
by QueenofConnaught
Summary: Set four years after Far and Away, Amanda awakes one night to find Numair gone with only a note involving a prophecy that only five people in the world have heard, and leading her to discover that the danger is closer to home then she ever thought. R
1. Prologue

Hey you guys, here I am, with my second fic on ff.net. Sorry I haven't gotten to posting my acknowledgments for Far and away yet, exams have been overwhelming, and now that they're finally over, I can get around to it I will, I promise. But for now I figured you wanted this more if there was a contest between the two, so I decided to post the first chapter of what I like to call TSAU (The Seen and Unforeseen). I hope you guys like it as much as Far and away, it certainly will be longer, this chapter is just shorter then the others just because it is the prologue. There is not much you need to know before reading this, only that it's set about four years after Far and Away. I have no other comments to make right now, since I have not got any reviewers to respond to, this being only the first chapter, so without further ado, have fun (read the note at the end for more info)

Oh, and by the way, since this is the first chapter of my story, and I am only going to say it once, the setting and the Tortallian characters, (besides Ecam, Neraso, and several others) belong to Tamora Pierce, the rest is all mine…except for Neraso…but he's another story…

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**Prologue**

Thunder cracked overhead, lightning flashed. The residents of northern Tortall all kept within their houses, afraid of the violent storm. None dared to venture beyond the security of an enclosed roof and thick walls.

None, that is, save two.

Two figures sat atop the great, sheer cliffs overlooking the brilliant sea, churning in the storm. They seemed unperturbed by the thrashing storm; in fact, they both appeared to be perfectly dry.

The man was Numair Salmalín, the woman was Amanda Wettle.

Numair was twenty-six years old; he was very tall, with long, jet-black hair, tied back in a horsetail, and a handsome, sensitive face. Amanda was twenty-four, with, long amber hair blowing freely in the wind, and deep, emerald green eyes.  They sat, with their arms around each other, clearly in love. 

"Isn't it wonderful?"  Amanda asked Numair gleefully, breathing in the salt air.

He grinned. "I don't exactly… share your enthusiasm for the weather," he said, "but I don't deny that it is…interesting to sit like this, dry in a rainstorm." He paused, and then said, quietly and without sarcasm, "In fact, I would never have had a chance, if I hadn't met you."

"If I had not met you," said Amanda, "I would still be alone, detached, dreaming for things others mocked me for. I would never have found where I belong." The rain had stopped, and the clouds drifted apart to show the black, night sky. 

"When I first saw you," Numair said, "I was escaping Carthak, and had just gotten caught by Ozorne's men. I was fighting them, but there were too many, and I knew I was trapped. Then, amazingly, I heard someone cry out, hail began to fall from the sky, and I turned to find you, a girl I had never met, who had just saved my life. I did not know who you were, or why you were there, but there was one thing I did know, one thing I have always known, and one thing I will never deny. I knew from the moment I saw you that I loved you. My life would be empty without you." 

Amanda turned toward him, and he leaned down. Their lips met, and they kissed, with such a passion that it made Amanda feel lightheaded. She had not felt this happy since she had realized that Numair was not dead, as she had thought, some four years ago. Since then, their love had never wavered, never grown dim, if anything, it had become stronger. Numair took his lips from hers, and Amanda moved forward to kiss again, but he pulled away, and she could tell that he wanted to tell her something important.

She turned to look up at him, his ebony eyes reflecting the starlit sky.

"Will you marry me, Amanda?" 

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            Who saw that coning? Well, it has been four years, and since he's two years older then her, they weren't old enough before, and no they are. So, I should get a chance to post the next chapter by Friday, mainly depending on how I did on my exams and if my parents will let me use the computer, and in how much homework I have this week, but I'm almost positive that I'll do it by then. Let's aim for five reviews, not too much, I just want to see how many people like it…the next chapter should get you more into the plot, and by the third it almost definitely will, this was just a teaser. So, tell me how you like it, and I promise it will get more action filled, in fact, it is much more complicated then it's predecessor. So, review, review, review, and I will post by Friday (if not earlier, depending on ho many reviews I get…)

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught 


	2. An Unexpected Guest

            Hey you guys, I'm back. I am updating a day before I said I would due to the fact that I will be away this weekend, and unable to update. I will try to get to my acknowledgments ASAP, but I have been really busy, and now that the midterms are over, I should get a chance very soon. Thanks to those of you who reviewed…I really love reviews, if you hadn't noticed be now…and keep it up…This chapter is a long one…like I promised, and the chapter after the next one is where the action will start to unfold…I promise it is coming soon…so, thanks again to all reviewers:

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            _Wildmage101: Yes, you were the first…to both review and wish him a happy b-day…but I will not sulk…jk…review next time, so I can see your wonderful review whilst I am away…and have at least one thing to look forward to…see you tom, I'll call later if I get a chance…_

_            Princess Alyssa 16:Thanks for reviewing…Glad to know I'm not the only one feeling overwhelmed by exams…she does say yes…that would be terrible if she didn't', after all they had been through…I have updated…so please review and tell me what you think of it…_

_            Treanz-Alyce: No, she won't…that would be bad…yes, I read it…t'was funny…thanks for writing me in…so, thanks for reviewing, and tell me what you think of this chapter…and feel free to write in my characters as guests, just be sure you tell me first, so I can read it…_

_            Lady-Kitty: Yes, I love them you, every time there is a thunderstorm (if it's not too cold out) I run outside and dance in the rain…everyone thinks I'm crazy…though some of my friends do the same thing…sorry, I got carried away there…so read this chapter and tell me what you think of it…_

_            Witchblood13: Yes, it will be almost as good as, if not better then the first one, that's okay…that's really nice of you to write one for your sister…I will try to read it when you update…thanks for reviewing, and tell me what you think of this next chapter…_

_            Aimee Damita: Thanks, well, you probably didn't know that it had been so long since "Far and Away", and that it would be about time for them to get engaged…so, if you feel like it, read this chapter, and tell me how you like it…thanks…_

_            Lil Grim PyroManiac: Thanks, I will try my best to R&R when I get a chance, thanks for reviewing, and keep it up if you want…thanks_

            So keep it up, and read the note at the end for more info, and without further ado, the chapter:

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**An Unexpected Guest**

"Where are they?" Amanda asked impatiently, pacing the floor of her room. 

It was three months after Numair's proposal, and the wedding was the next week. They had decided that it was to be small and uncomplicated, as they were both still pretty new, and didn't know all too many people to invite. There was also the fact that all of Numair's family and friends were back in Carthak, leaderless, and chaotic, as Amanda's were in another world.

This problem however, had been solved. Amanda had gone to visit her friends in the years since she had moved to Tortall, and they were to be in her wedding. Caroline, Emily, and Maeve were due to arrive today; they were, however, four hours late. 

"I'm sure they're just a little caught up, they'll be here soon." said Numair, sitting on the bed, and watching Amanda, "We do have to keep in mind that time is strange between worlds."

"Easy for _you_ to say." she retorted, "You aren't the one waiting."

"You think I don't wish a thousand times over that I was?" he said, looking down

Amanda stopped pacing, and went to sit beside Numair on the bed, realizing what she had said.   

"I'm sorry," she mumbled "I had forgotten."

"It's alright Magelet," he said quietly "I know that with Carthak in a state of anarchy, with all of the ports closed, that they couldn't come anyway. I just couldn't help but wonder if they still would, had not these problems arisen."

"Of course they would," Amanda said fiercely and Numair grinned at her.

"I love you, Amanda," he said, leaning down so that their faces were level. She brought her arms around his neck, and they kissed with a romantic passion. 

Raised voices, bickering and cursing from the sound of it, echoed through the doorway, along with the footsteps coming up the stairs. Amanda and Numair quickly sprang apart, and Amanda went over to sit in a chair, trying to look as normal as possible. 

Caroline and Emily emerged in the doorway, having a heated discussion. The both looked disheveled and peeved about something. Amanda however, stood up, smiling.

"So, you finally got here." she said sarcastically "it took you long enough." she paused, looking up the stairs for their third companion, who was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Maeve?"

Caroline scowled, looking bad tempered, she and Emily exchanged looks, and they both launched into a furious, fast paced explanation. Amanda could only distinguish parts of it at a time.

"So it turned out when we had to come…our five year reunion…we decided…go from there…Idiotic child…said we should go…science room…evil…memories…saw…grabbed his hand…didn't realize until it was too late…Him!" 

At this point Emily stopped abruptly, flustered and apparently at a loss for words, and Caroline cursed so vividly that Emily stared at her with a mixture of horror and delight, Amanda stepped back, confused, and Numair was suddenly overcome with a furious coughing fit that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, and went upstairs to check on an experiment he was working on

"What on earth are you two talking about?" Amanda demanded "you left from your reunion, and Maeve did _what_? It sounds as though she-" she stopped, for at that moment, Maeve had appeared in the stairwell, looking sheepish, and she was not alone. She was shortly followed by an extremely tall man, in a crisp shirt and a tie. He had brown, short hair, a long nose, and an expression of annoyance mixed with confusion. 

Amanda gasped, and stepped back several paces, Emily shook her head disbelievingly, and Caroline launched into another spew of cursing, this time at Maeve, who winced, and looked apologetically at Amanda 

"Where on earth is this?" Mr. Norman asked, incredulously, and then he caught sight of the others "Amanda? Emily? Caroline? _Maeve?_ You were in my 7th grade science class ten years ago, weren't you?" 

"Actually, it's been eleven years, six months, five days and sixteen hours since we left 7th grade," said Maeve brightly "and it's Amanda _Salmalín_ now, or at least it will be in a week. As for where we are, in the current residence of Amanda and Numair Salmalín, in northern Tortall, which is an alternate universe written of in several books by Tamora Pierce, which can only be accessed by the use of this highly useful necklace given to Amanda by the Tortallian gods." She held up a shimmering, light blue glass, suspended on silver, water-like chain. She tossed it to Amanda, who caught it, and fastened it once again around her neck, tucking it beneath her shirt, and out of sight. "We are here for the wedding of Amanda and Numair, who is the greatest mage; or wizard, in the eastern lands. Or at least the most powerful _university_ taught mage.  The greatest mage in the field of wild magic, or that is to say _weather_ magic, is Amanda."   She grinned, "So, if all is now explained, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Tortall."    

Mr. Norman blinked, staring at Maeve in disbelief. Amanda could not tell weather this was because of the contents of this announcement, or due to the fact that, in 7th grade, Maeve had never uttered more then a sentence at a time in his presence. Then, he composed himself, and said in a matter of fact way,

"I must be dreaming," he informed them, now strolling around the room "or perhaps I have gone mad…This is a strange place you live in, this tower…"

Amanda had finally found her voice, she rounded on Maeve.

"He can't stay here!" she roared at Maeve, who flinched. It wasn't very easy to get angry with Maeve, who, in turn didn't loose her temper much. "He has to go back now, how could you have done this ?!" 

Amidst the confusion, Mr. Norman strolled up the stairs, apparently still exploring under the pretence of having a dream, and was unnoticed by the bickering girls.

"Sorry," muttered Maeve. "It's just that…at the time it seemed to be a good idea. At this point, we can't send him back without having to go as well, you can only make one major trip at a time. Unless you want us to go back…" she finished, looking down.

Amanda took a deep breath, but before she could speak, Numair's voice came from the floor above, sounding slightly bemused.

"Um…hello…No! Don't touch that!" 

There was a loud thud above them, and footsteps hurrying downstairs. Numair appeared in the doorway, looming disheveled. 

"Who was that?" he asked, confused.

"That," said Amanda heavily, still glaring at Maeve, "was Doug Norman, our old 7th grade science teacher, who is now stuck here with us for the _next week_ thanks to Maeve."

Numair looked slightly alarmed at this, but continued rather awkwardly, "Well, he um …interrupted an …experiment I was doing…on the uses of Nightbloom. This… um…Normy-"

"Norman" corrected Maeve automatically.

"Yes…well… he should come round in several days…unless I can find the counter potion… sorry about this… I'll go...look now."  He hurried back up the stairs to the library, before he was subject to further questions.

There was a short pause, then Emily and Caroline burst into peals of laughter, Maeve, however, looked extremely anxious, and turned to Amanda.

"Isn't Nightbloom the strongest sleeping potion there is?" Amanda nodded, trying to conceal her own amusement "Will he be alright…that is to say… without _permanent _damage?"

"Yes, Maeve, he'll be fine." Amanda reassured her " Don't worry." Then, feeling somewhat ashamed at her anger, for Amanda had remembered that it had been Maeve who was the first to believe her when Amanda had first come to Tortall, four years ago. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, we were just…surprised" Caroline snorted, and Amanda glared at her and took a deep breath before saying bracingly, "Well, it seems that I have another guest for my wedding."

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            Well…how was it? You probably didn't get the alluding to the random man, who seemed to erratically pop up in the plot…but it was for fun…so just go with me here…most of the other chapters won't be like that (strange) the chapter after the next one should be the suspenseful and action filled one…so, I'll try to get my acknowledgments posted sometime next week…review, please…let's aim this time for 14…I won't be sad if I get less…it's just nice to have a goal to work towards… so, I should be able to update by next Friday…and I'll see you then, please tell me what you think…review, review, review, and I'll see you Friday…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	3. The Wedding

Hey you guys, I'm back…sorry, I did not get a chance to update until Sunday…I was rushed, and busy with ed…I finally posted my acknowledgments…but the website took them off as a chapter (as well as my updating privileges for 24 hours…which is why I haven't gotten a chance to update until now…) because apparently you can't have chapters as authors notes by themselves…so, better late then never, I guess…so thank you for all of your reviews:

_Wildmage101: Thanks…you will not answer the phone…miss you…Ed was so sad…I was very sad…and you would nit pick up your phone…review this chapter…see you on Monday…_

_Savvy706: Yes…I will…publish it…though I doubt he is looking closely into every book as to who the characters represent…but maybe he is…see you on Monday…say hi to Rupy for me…_

_Princess Alyce 16: Thanks…I have updated…now please tell me how you like it…and I will see you then…_

_Syd*ny44: Yes…I suppose he does…though I kind of liked 'Normy'…glad you liked it…and tell me what you think of this chapter…_

_Lady-Kitty: Thanks…I always try to keep it interesting…I have updated, though if a but late, so if you get a chance, tell me what you think about it…_

_Robinwyn: We all are clueless yet helpful at some point…or the world would be…let's see…perfect and in trouble…I guess…so, glad you like it, tell me how you like the rest if you get a chance, thanks…_

_Treanz-Alyce: Yes, she did…and I did…well…not so gross, if you think about it…yes, it was very amusing…thanks, so tell me how the rest is…_

_Witchblood13: Well, I'm glad she likes it…what was it about, I wonder…yes, it was the comic relief of the story…among, other things…glad you liked it, tell me if you like the rest, and I'll see you next time you or I review…thanks…_

_Miliko01: I just now took a good look at your pen name, and realized that it was Miliko01, not Milko01…sorry for that…I have to remember to look more closely at stuff, glad you like it so far, If you want to review…tell me if you like the rest…_

_Lady Rhian Knightmage: Your school ends in _December_? When does it start??? Our school ends in June…sorry…that's actually pretty cool, though if I had to pick, I would rather have school during the dreary winter then in the hot, sunny summer…so, I'm glad you liked it, and if you want, you could review this chapter…thanks…_

_Lil Grim PyroManiac: Well, I've never read that book… but I thought the movie had a pretty cool plot…interesting quote; I'll give you one in return to ponder… "…It was one of those things in life that was unspeakable, when a thought passes between two people like a streak of lightning, then is gone beyond all recollection…"figure out that one…sorry, I got carried away, anyway, thanks for reviewing…and I'll (hopefully) see you next time…_

So, thanks again to all of you who reviewed…keep up the good work, read the note at the end for more info, and enjoy the chapter:

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**The Wedding**

The wedding went as planned from then on, and the next week passed without nearly as many problems as the first day had. Numair found his vial of wake flower, and used it to return Norman to his usual state. He then spent his time perusing the many books on magic that Numair had acquired, occasionally pestered by Maeve, which, contrary to being annoyed, seemed to amuse him. 

Numair asked Jonathan to be his best man, as his old friends were still in Carthak, and was obliged. Maeve, Carolina, and Emily were Amanda's bridesmaids, which made them quite thrilled, and caused Maeve to repeatedly mention the joy of weddings to Norman, who remained completely oblivious. 

The wedding took place at night, not in the capital, as many such things did, but right outside their tower. Amanda and Numair stood, on the edge of the cliff, holding hands as the ceremony progressed, and the mist of the salty ocean below sprayed their faces. Amanda looked deep into Numair's eyes, and in them she saw deep knowledge, unending love, and great secrets, not yet uncovered by the mysteries of time.

Amanda paused a second to wonder what these could be, but then the priest announced them husband and wife, and Numair's lips were on hers. She put her arms around his neck, and she realized that she, Amanda Wettle, had done the one thing that she had wished for for almost her whole life, and was happier then she had once believed she never could be. Upon realizing this, tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Numair must have noticed, for he pulled back, and withdrew his handkerchief. 

"It's okay," he said quietly, smiling as he wiped the tears from her cheeks, and whispered so only she could hear, "I told you once I'd _never_ forget you, Amanda, and I doubt I could even if I tried."

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So, how was it? The next one will be longer, and will most likely end in a cliffhanger…these first three chapters were just the beginning, the setting for what is to come…now, starting with the next chapter, the plot will begin to unfold, and the action will barely cease from then to the end…so be prepared, you have been warned…I will update by Friday, I promise, because I have to go away again next weekend…and will have no computer to use…let's aim for a total of 27 reviews…only 6 more…you guys have been amazing so far, you can keep it up…so, I will post chapter four by Friday…I won't be late this time…unless something thoroughly unexpected occurs…which I doubt will happen…so, review, review, review, and tell me what you think of it…see you on Friday…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	4. The Urgent Message

Hey guys, I'm back after a long and tiring week to return once again to my faithful reviewers and story… as I promised and updating with Chapter four on Friday , and should able to update with Chapter five next Friday (assuming of course , that I get enough reviews) JK thank you to everyone he reviewed.  I now have 28 , with only three chapters.  Must be a record , I really appreciate it.  This chapter is not as long as the next one should be.  However much longer than the last one and they  should  get longer as the story progresses.  As I promised this is one the plot actually starts.  There's no more daily dallying getting married , proposing etc. in the chapters to calm.  However , they should be more suspenseful annual probably not happy with me for leaving several cliffhangers.  However , this is necessary , and will probably have a better effects that if I had to.  So thank you to all you to all who reviewed:

_Wildmage101: No review from you…'tis sad…oh well…I am off tomorrow…sorry, hope you had fun at the party…and I will try to call you tonight…and if not, I hope you like the strange scene…and check your e-mails…_

_Lil Grim PyroManiac: I'm glad you liked it guessed it was meant to be romantic.  Is having trouble figuring out what that quotes from just tell me , and out to you said it ever has to do another one of you have any interest in once you could tell me to Iowa's love to hear that banks were reviewing , and I'll see you next time.  Tell me what you think about this chapter._

_Aimee Damita: Very true...Maeve and Norman were kind of random characters.  One of a will come back later offered the everyone will probably drifted memory , and not return for a while if at all.  Sorry about that was just for comic relief and out of the plot has actually progressed he shouldn't be back for while. Anyway , I'm glad you liked it and please reviewed a tiny we think about this chapter thanks…_

_Lady-Kitty: yes it is romantic I'm glad you liked it.  Banks were reviewing , and if you get a chance , could you please review this chapter , and tell me what you think about it…_

_Syd*ny44: Yes, Normy has basically left the picture.  However , he will perhaps return later one the opportune moment arises I'd like you liked it and please having what you think about this.  See you next time..._

_Witchblood13: Yes , it was sweet, and don't worry,  this one should be longer and the next one should be longer than this one was I'm glad you liked it… thanks for reviewing, and down we think about this chapter he attends thanks._

_Lady Rhian Knightmage: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it… It must be fun to go to school in different times…though I'd rather have off in the summer…but I guess it must be warm there in December…what is Australia like? So review this chapter, and tell me how you like it…thanks… _

_Diana-Sama: Thanks…who are those…characters…just wondering…anyway, glad you liked it, and tell me how you like this chapter…thanks…_

Thank you again to all who reviewed, and without further ado, (read the note at the end for more info) here is the chapter:

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**The Urgent Message**

Maeve, Caroline, and Emily went back home several days later, along with Mr. Norry, whom Numair had managed to convince that he _was _indeed dreaming, and could wake up simply by wishing to go home on Amanda's necklace. Amanda's life fell back into a pattern, despite the fact that she was now married. Life passed for two months with nothing particularly out of the ordinary, until one dark and stormy night, on the third of august.

Amanda lay, asleep in her bed, dreaming of the day when she and Numair had first met, when she was awoken suddenly by a loud, crashing noise from the floor below. She sat bolt upright in bed, and looked beside her for Numair's sleeping form, but instead found only empty bedcovers, wrinkled where he had lain, moments before. She hurried down the steps to find the kitchen in disarray, as if a struggle had taken place; the windowpane on the door had shattered, and things were strewn across the floor. The door was open, and in came the windy night air, damp from the rain. 

Amanda looked around frantically for some sign of what had happened, but there was none to be seen. She reached for her magical sense of her husband, the connection that he had made the day he had first become her teacher, so they could find each other if they needed too.  Her sense of him was stretched very thin, as if he had very little magic, or was far away from her. Now very much in a panic, Amanda went back inside, wildly looking around until her eyes came to rest on the kitchen table.

On it laid a small piece of parchment, which looked as if it had been torn from something, and on it was a word scribbled hastily in Numair's handwriting. Amanda recognized it as a spell for speaking, already empowered with his magic. To activate it, she need only speak the word. She did so, and the words lit up, casting  projection of Numair's face that appeared in the air above it, looking disheveled, and almost fearful. When he spoke, his voice echoed strangely, as from a great distance.

"Amanda," he said urgently, as if he was trying to say this before he was cut off. "it is vital that I you get this before they come, and if you find this it will mean that I am gone. I do not have time to explain, but I must tell you that it is essential that you do _not_ come after me. They must not capture you as well." his voice softened somewhat, and he looked distant, almost sad. "I'll love you forever, Magelet, always remember that, and the reason this is happening is because of a pr-" he was cut off by a loud, crashing noise behind him, and a cold, cruel male voice said from somewhere near the doorway, 

"Did you think you could hide forever? Ozorne was not the only one who knew, Salmalín."

Numair, now wearing an expression of such anger that it hid his fear, muttered the word that ended the spell, and was gone. 

Amanda stepped back, shocked. From the sound of it, Numair had been captured, but by whom? What enemies did they still have? Even stranger then that, it appeared that Numair had known beforehand that this might happen; almost as if he had been warned…

Without pausing for further thought, for there was no time to loose, Amanda ran upstairs to her room, dragged her traveling pack from under her bed, and began to bundled up clothes and food, stuffing them in without any particular order. When she was finished, Amanda hurried back down the stairs, and out to the shed where her mare was hitched. She strapped on a saddle, and swung her pack onto her back. Amanda knew that Numair had said not to follow, but she had had experience with his protectiveness before, he was just trying to keep her safe as he usually did. What did he expect her to do anyway, sit around and wait for him to return?  No, she was going to figure this out, and from the sound of it, Numair knew something that he had never told her.

Something dangerous.

Pausing only to cast a spell around herself and the horse to repel the rain, Amanda kicked her mare to a gallop, and prepared herself for a long ride, for it was three hours to Corus. 

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            Well, that was certainly a cliffy…what happened to Numair? Why is Amanda going to chorus, and who was that strange man in the background being sinister? the next chapter will probably be suspenseful too, although some things will be answered…as I said, I am getting into the plot, and the suspense should thicken as the story progresses…for a while, the main concept is a mystery, but I promise sooner or later it will all become clear to you…So, I will update, as usual, by next Friday…and let's aim for 35 reviews…only 7 more…you can do it…I will be back from my trip by Tuesday, and if you guys review a lot, I may be able to update sooner…so review, review, review, and I will update on or before Friday…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	5. A Visit With The King

Hey guys and I am sorry I know white today's late update by yesterday I was about all day in the day before, I was I didn't get home from school and other stopped, Intel very late in didn't have time to update.  I promise I will try to do my best to update by Friday next week.  And not delay as I've been doing somewhat of late.  However, I'll never be more than two days late to update…  You can I count on that… my updates will be on time unless I say they won't be… thanks for your reviews…I can't believe I got forty two.  I wanted 27 at the most…five chapters almost 50 reviews.  That's amazing…thanks…this chapters longer then the last, but the next chapter after this should get lager and the plot will begin to be more clear.  It's a bit of the ministry for while, but will in the end make sense.  So before, I let you read the chapter, thanks to all of you who reviewed:

_Lady Rhian Knightmage: Sorry that cliffhangers are annoying you.  Not all of my chapter should and that way.  Just for a little while Amanda should get better.  While Australia sounds nice to me anything would be better than this unbearable cold, while the springs coming soon.  But really call you get all four seasons in one day.  But what about fall and spring?  Oh well.  Thanks for reading my chapter and tell me what you think about the next one if you get a chance…_

_Treanz-Alyce: Yes indeed he was saying prophecy, and in fact, you're the only reviewer so far, who has managed figure that out.  Congratulations you can probably tell if he looked closely at the summary that it was tied.  It doesn't give away the full plot.  So if you get a chance to know you think about this chapter and I'll see you then, thanks…_

_Lil Grim PyroManiac: Thanks I guess sorry there's a major cliff to.  I guess that justify right sun casual and that way, but about even as this one he'll be waiting for the next one justice eagerly.  Anyway Tommy I. you think of it.  And I'll see you next time._

_Midnight Moonbeam: What did you mean why didn't she wake off.  It wasn't a dream, you know, anyway I'm glad you liked it and Tommy we think about this next chapter.  Thanks._

_Wildmage101: Oh well.  Perhaps the absence of fluffiness makes it better ones actually comes...  Or maybe not am sorry that up at Valentine's Day.  But I guess it turned out better than you said it was oh well.  I sit listening to my strange tapes, and they're getting even weirder.  I'm trying to call you the won't pick up the sound, and I miss you… I guess I'll see you tomorrow..._

_Miliko01: I'm sorry.  Yes, I can be lying am very sorry that you should like this.  And I guess that cliffhangers make it more enticing to read more...  The time you what you think about this next chapter.  Thanks..._

_Witchblood13: Yes, the first few chapters were an epilogue of sorts… Now it should be more action in the plot…I'm glad you're back from not updating overview your story when I get a chance and in the meantime.  If you get a chance, could you please review mine…that is if you want to…thanks_

_Lady-Kitty: Yes, it will turn out as planned, however, how I planned as yet to be seen...  JK, I will keep on writing and please keep on reviewing and tell me what you think…thanks…_

_Aimee Damita: India was suspenseful.  What is you're talking paper thing?  Well in this case I probably disobey him too… anyway thanks for reviewing, and tell me what you think about this next chapter…_

_Savvy706: Hi…thanks for reviewing.  I didn't even know you read my stories.  Now I don't think they will track me down.  There is also one New Hampshire...  And in Pennsylvania...  Thanks you keep going to asked you tomorrow..._

_Ophelia-Waterhouse: well.  It could be (or a prune...But I doubt that it) to I know you're had to keep reading. It will become clear before you know, and yes, he has reason to be protective this time.  I'll try to update before Friday this time, I promise…and in the meantime review if you get a chance.  Thanks _

_Syd*n44: Yes, it was a cliffhanger… and let you liked it and please tell me what you think about this next chapter if you get a chance…thanks…_

Thanks again for all of you are reviewed, and keep up good work.  Read the note at the end for more info…and now…the chapter:__

**A Visit with the King**

The sun had already begun to creep over the horizon by the time Amanda had reached the palace. She dismounted from her horse, and climbed the marble steps, leaving her mare to be taken to the royal stables.  She then made her way to the north wing, where the monarchs lived.

The guard outside their room was asleep against the wall, but roused quickly when Amanda turned the doorknob. He stood up and glared at Amanda.

"Excuse me!" he cried indignantly, "You're not allowed in there. The King and Queen are not seeing visitors until ten."

"I need to see the King." Amanda gasped, still out of breath, "I have a message, it's important."

The guard glared at her again, then said, "Who should I say is here?"

Amanda sighed and took a deep breath. "Amanda Salmalín, wife and former student of Numair Salmalín, the greatest mage in the eastern lands. I am a friend of both King Jonathan of Conte, and Alanna the Lioness, and the only weather mage in all of Tortall. I am here on a matter of great importance, and demand to speak to the king at once."  she said in her most formal and imperious voice  

The guard blinked, then hurried inside the room. Several minutes later, he returned, and motioned her in. Amanda entered the room to find Jonathan, the king of Tortall. He was sitting at his desk, looking tired, but he smiled as she came in. he had dark hair, and was very handsome, as kings often were.

"Amanda," he said, motioning for her to sit down. "It's nice to see you, where's-" he stopped, seeing the expression on her face, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Amanda sat, a grim expression on her face, and mutely handed him the piece of paper with the spell on it. He took it, and said the spell, looking somewhat confused. When the spell ended he put it back down, frowning. A short while passed without either of them speaking, then the king said heavily,

"I know this might happen one day, Numair told me when we first met, some five years ago. It had to do with a prophecy that he heard when he was a student in Carthak. I do not know the exact contents, only that it had to do with the fate of the country Tyra. Numair said that he must tell me no more, for there was danger for those who knew it; which is partly why he left. He told me that this may happen either because they wanted to know the contents of the prophecy, or because they already knew and wanted him because _he _had something to with it. In the message that Numair left, the man at the end said that Ozorne was not the only one who knew… so it is my guess that they already knew the prophecy, and that…" his voice trailed off, and he looked grim. "and that they wanted Numair, to fulfill the prophecy… or prevent it from happening."

Amanda's mind was already reeling with all of this information, but as she took this last bit in, something horrible clunked into place, and her stomach gave a terrible lurch of dread. 

"You mean," she said slowly "that they are going to kill him?" her voice shook on the last three words, but she stared straight at Jonathan, almost defiantly.

"I think," he said quietly and carefully, "that that is _exactly _what they eventually intend to do."

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Cliffy again…but the next one should be less so, don't worry…I will try to update by next Friday…hopefully there won't be any delays this time…don't worry, I don't think there will be, and besides, the next chapter will be longer, and give away more…for a while, the whole thing's a bit of a mystery…but it will all make sense in the end…I promise you… I'm sorry if some of the wording of these comments has been a bit strange, but I've been using my voice right vision software and some of the things I say come out of it differently.  I've been trying to edit, and it's getting better, but once again please be patient in the meantime…This time, let's aim for 47 reviews (Only five more)… so I'll try to update by next Friday, and in the meantime, review, review, review, and I'll see you soon.

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	6. Old Friends, and New Enemies

Hey guys, I'm back…really, really sorry I'm a bit late…I couldn't update as planned last night…or the night before…but here I am now…so here is the chapter. I hope you guys like it…the next chapter should be longer as the plot continues to unfold…but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter…anyway…did you know today's leap day…supposedly it was at one point the only day of the year when a girl could ask a boy to marry her…so take advantage of it, I guess…or not, if you're like me…and couldn't ask the person you wanted to, even if you did want to…sorry, that was random…so, on with the chapter, but first, thanks to all of you who reviewed…that's amazing that I have 53 reviews…so keep it up…and thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter:

_Wildmage101: Hey, thanks for reviewing…I will call you tonight…yes, I do remember…that was very amusing…yes, my brother was mislead, as of course, was his friend…anyway…call you later and see you tom…_

_Lady-Kitty: Sorry…yes, sometimes characters must die in order for certain things to progress in the plot…however, this may or may not be one of those times…you'll have to keep reading, and of course reviewing, to find out…I always have a plan…so tell me what you think if you want, and I'll se you then…_

_Miliko01: Glad you liked it…it was a true cliff hanger…but perhaps that's what makes the story suspenseful, and therefore better to read…oh well, tell me what you think of this next semi-cliffy…thanks…_

_Diana-sama: Why do you have…multiple personalities/friends? Oh well, it is interesting to read…I guess it's whatever floats your boat…so, tell me how you like this chapter…and ask the…other reviewers-within-your-review…thanks…_

_Midnight Moonbeam: Well, she did…it was just several minutes before he had to go, and he did not wake her up in case he thought she would try to save him…and he didn't want her to follow…but as to why, it will make sense soon enough…_

_Lil Grim PyroManiac: Hamlet is not nearly as bad as Greek mythology…oh well; anyway…glad you liked the ending of that chapter…so tell me what you think of the next one…_

_Robinwyn: Thanks…and the prophecy idea took all last summer to come up with the prophecy idea…wonder how long it'll take me to come up with an ending…won't be too long…so, glad you liked it, and I hope you like this chapter…_

_Aimee Damita: Sorry you were…confused…we all have days like that…sorry you had one of those days…so I'll see you next time, and tell me how you liked it…thanks…see you then…_

_Witchblood13: Well, they might be…and then again they might not…you'll have to wait and see…you've gotten to liking them together…so have the rest of us…but I will go where the plot takes me…so you will see…and in the meantime, review…_

_Ophelia-Waterhouse: Sorry, this one should be longer…sorry…he might not be killed…but then again, you'll just have to wait and see…so review, and you will get your answer sooner then if you didn't review…if that makes any sense at all. So see you then…and review please…._

_Lady Rhian Knightmage: Sorry…this one will be longer, and the next one even longer…that sounds fun…I'd love to live there…especially surrounded by ocean…have you ever seen the great barrier reef? I'd love to…sorry, got carried away…anyway, review, and I will see you later…thanks for answering my questions…_

So…thanks to all of you, and keep up the great work…and without further ado…here is the chapter:

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**Old Friends and New Enemies**

Amanda walked through the busy marketplace, numbly leading her mare behind her. She let the noise of the bustling crowd wash over her, without hearing it at all. All she could hear were Jon's words, telling her that it was likely that Numair was to be killed, her husbands warning not to follow, and that cold, cruel voice, ringing in her ears. A horrible, aching feeling of emptiness filled her chest, and Amanda bit her lip to keep from crying. Numair was gone, and she didn't even know why. 

Jonathan had said he would help, but it would be too late by the time he could dispatch a squad of the King's Own. What Amanda really needed was someone to help her see the way. When she had been younger, she would have gone to her friends for help, but now they were another universe away. Her hand moved unconsciously to her necklace for comfort, and she was lost to a whirl of color and sound.

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            When Amanda opened her eyes, she mentally scolded herself for touching her necklace while wanting to go home. She looked around, and found herself in a sort of laundry room, and emerged form it to enter a small kitchen. Her three best friends were sitting at a table in the center of the room, talking together. They turned and saw her, and grinned, looking somewhat surprised.

            "Amanda!" Exclaimed Caroline. "We had just finished dinner, Maeve invited us over after the reunion was over. We were talking about when we would come and see you, and you come to visit _us._ How are you?"

            "_Never _ask that question." scolded Maeve, laughing. Then she spotted the look on Amanda's face. "What's wrong? And where's Numair?"      

            "Nothing," said Amanda quickly, not wanting to explain it all now. "I mean, I'll it explain later. I didn't _intend_ to come here. I have to go." 

            "_Why?_" asked Emily interestedly. "And where _is_ Numair?" she repeated Maeve's question, determined to get an answer.

            "He's been kidnapped" Amanda said shortly, ignoring the icy feeling in her lungs that had been threatening to creep up her throat for almost a day now. They gasped, and Caroline said breathlessly,  

            "By whom? It's only been an hour since you got married."

"Well, we don't exactly know." Amanda admitted wearily, " It's been three months in Tortall since the wedding." When they still looked puzzled, she sighed exasperatedly, and explained. They all simply stood there, stunned. Amanda said quickly, taking advantage of their temporary silence, "Which is why I must go back. When this is all over, I'll come to visit you."

She ignored the small voice inside her that said darkly that it might not be over anytime soon. 

"We're coming with you." said someone quietly from behind her, and Amanda turned to see Maeve, looking stubborn. Emily and Caroline nodded silently beside her. 

Amanda shook her head furiously. "No, I can deal with it myself." 

"We _want _to help you." said Caroline earnestly. "We know that if one of us were in trouble, you'd do the same." 

            "It will be really dangerous." Amanda said desperately "If something were to happen to you, I'd never be able to forgive myself."  

"We can handle ourselves as well as you can." said Emily, sounding slightly annoyed. " Tell us that you _don't _ want the help of your friends, and we won't argue one bit." She looked straight into Amanda's eyes, and Emily was not the first to look away. Amanda thought about it, she _had _wanted help from them, and deep down, though she may deny it, she did not want to do this alone.

"Come here and hold this." she said resignedly, pulling her necklace out. "Before I change my mind."

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So…that was interesting…didn't I tell you guys that her friends would return? Well, this next chapter is really good, but you guys can't see it if you don't review…I will try my best to update by Friday…and if not, as usual, I will update by Sunday…unless, of course, I get no reviews, in which case I will update once I get them, and if not, perhaps a week or two late…I will be unable to update between the days of the 12th and the 22nd of March…because I will be away, and unable to get to a computer…but I will try my best to update on the 11th and the 23rd…I promise…so let's aim for 59 reviews this time…only 5 more…so review, review, review, an I will see you next time (Friday)…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught 


	7. Dreams and Reality

Hey guys, I am so, so, so, so, so sorry I have not updated in forever, first I was grounded, then I went on vacation for ten days, and here I am, back finally, and I make this chapter the length of what I was going to make three chapters, and I will update sometime this weekend with the next chapter ( I will at least try my very best to do so). You'll have to forgive me for one thing though; I don't have time right now to do individual comments, if I am going to update today, instead of later this week, so I figured it was a worthwhile trade off, and I will add comments later this week if I have time, if not, I will add extra long comments to the next chapter, and I hope you will understand…I have a lot of work, and the fact that I can update at all is hard to do being this busy…but I will give you an extra long chapter, and I hope you like it…read the note at the end for more info, and thanks for all of your reviews (63!!!!!!!!!) you guys are amazing!!!!!!! So here it is, enjoy:

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**Dreams and Reality**

When they arrived back in Chorus, Amanda took Emily, Maeve, and Caroline to the marketplace to buy suitable garments.

            "Why do we have to wear these?" complained Emily, glaring down at the blouse and breeches she now wore. "They're so drab and boring!" 

            "Try walking around in year 429 in a t-shirt and jeans." Retorted Amanda, buying the clothes from the vender. "Trust me, you get looked at strangely." Maeve and Caroline had donned their clothes as well, but didn't argue as they bought food, saddle packs, and horses. Numair was in Tyra, Amanda could tell from her magical sense of him, which was a country to the far south. Tyra could not be reached without traveling through another country, unless they intended to go by water. They would make their way through southern Tortall, down Maren, and into Tyra.  Amanda could still not figure out what had happened to Numair, and more importantly, _why_ it had, but hoped that she would find out soon. After briefly showing Caroline and Emily how to ride, since Maeve had known from child hood, they set off.  They rode at a trot until sunset. 

            "Where did you learn how to do all of this?" asked Maeve with interest as Amanda unpacked the bedrolls, set up camp, and gathered firewood for the night.  

            Amanda grinned crookedly. "I _had _to learn. When I first came here, Numair taught me and-" she stopped, at a loss for words, and Caroline and Emily hurried over to help Maeve with dinner. 

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            Hours later, long after it had become dark, and everyone else was dead asleep, judging from the copious amounts of snoring coming from them, Amanda lay awake in her bedroll, watching the dying embers of the fire. She looked down at her hands, and saw the flickers of amber light reflected on the gold band wrapped around her finger; her wedding ring. A blue sapphire, and a deep black stone of Carthaki origin were set around a sparkling diamond. Amanda remembered how Numair had given it to her less then two months ago, and her vision grew clouded as hot, salty tears flowed down her face. She tried to stem the flow with her blouse sleeve, but they would not stop. She lay back down on the forest floor, and cried herself to sleep.

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            I was a hot June morning, and Amanda sat in a chair in her room, reading, when Numair walked in. 

            "Since we do happen to be getting married in a few weeks, I thought it only fitting that my bride have a proper ring." he said, smiling and presenting her with a small box, from which Amanda withdrew a glittering golden ring, with three stones in it. It was custom in Tortall for the bride to be given a ring not at the engagement, but between then and the wedding.  Amanda gasped in wonder, and exclaimed,

            "Numair, it's beautiful."

            "It represents us." he explained. "The black represents me, the blue you." he pointed them out as he spoke. 

            "What about the diamond?" asked Amanda, watching the sunlight pass through it, showering the floor with bits of rainbow light. 

            "I was getting to that." Numair said, sitting down next to her. "When I first saw how beautiful and mysterious it was…it reminded me of you."

            Amanda turned, and threw her arms around him as his lips met her own. Heat rushed through her body, along with an odd, tingling sensation. They kissed as the warm sunlight trickled across their hair. 

Then the dream changed, there was a crashing noise from downstairs, and Numair leapt up, looking sad. 

"I have to go," he told Amanda, looking sad. "I love you."  

"What?" asked Amanda in alarm, but he had already descended the stairs, and when she ran after him, she found herself not in her tower, but overlooking a wide, deep blue sea.

"Numair!" she cried, and her voice echoed over the wide spance of water. "Numair!" But there was no answer, and Amanda sat up in bed, shaking, every inch of her covered in icy sweat.

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The sunlight trickling through the trees warmed her, and she put her face in her hands, taking deep breaths until the tremors subsided. It had seemed so real, in fact, it had really happened, besides the fact that Numair had had to leave like that. Amanda tried to calm herself down, saying it was just a dream, just nerves, nothing more. 

Caroline and Emily awoke slowly, stretching and grumbling. Maeve, however, sat suddenly bolt upright in her bed, breathing fast and looking stricken. 

"Are you all right?" asked Amanda, looking towards her friend as she helped to pack up. 

Maeve turned to face her, "I had the strangest dream." she whispered, looking down, as if she was embarrassed, or ashamed. 

"What was it about?" asked Emily. "_I_ didn't have any dreams. In fact I don't know if I even fell asleep on this hard, root infested bed!" 

"Oh you slept all right," said Caroline darkly. "You snore."

"What _was_ it about?" repeated Amanda over Emily and Caroline's continued bickering. 

"It was the strangest dream I've ever had." said Maeve, slowly. "There were flashes of so many things, and none of them fit together properly. First I saw _us_, riding through dense woods, fast as the wind… Then we were hiding behind trees as men on horses galloped by us… and then _you_ Man, were standing on a cliff, overlooking the sea, calling Numair …" her voice trailed off.

"I saw that last bit in _my_ dream too." said Amanda excitedly. "Go on, what else did you see?" she asked, slightly apprehensive.

Maeve hesitated for a moment, and then said. "I saw a small, stone room…and Numair was lying on the floor… he was dead. It was terrible."  her voice shook, and she stopped, looking terrified, as if Amanda might suddenly explode.

"Lets go." said Caroline briskly, Emily came over and bustled Maeve out of her bedroll on her way to saddle the horses. They rode at a trot, since three of them were not particularly adept at riding. By the end of the day, they were exhausted, and did not speak much as they got ready for bed.

Amanda dreamed once more of that wide sea she could not cross. She awoke the next morning, with an unmistakable feeling of foreboding. Maeve was already awake by the time Amanda opened her eyes, and she told Amanda that she had had the strange dream again.

"It was like the last one," she said as they packed their saddlebags. "Only…you were with Numair…both of you were…" her voice faltered, and she looked stricken. 

Amanda was somewhat puzzled by this; perhaps Maeve's dreams were…more then just dreams. She herself had had dreams in which she was told things, or seen things in the past. Amanda had, however, never seen things yet to be, as she thought Maeve might now be seeing. Amanda had heard if scrying before, a form of seeing the future or the past, but knew it to be very rare.

"All right," said Emily, interrupting Amanda's thoughts. "Lets go."

 They mounted their horses, and Caroline brought hers up alongside Amanda so they could talk.  

"How far do you think we are from reaching him?"  she asked quietly.

"Well," said Amanda. "I figure that if we head that if we head towards Tyra, the capital city, which is about two and a half days from here, I will be able to sense exactly where Numair is from there." Caroline nodded, but said no more.

Amanda heard the thunder of horses hooves that were not their own. She turned quickly to see fifteen or more riders behind them, riding at a full gallop. Amanda did not wait to see if they were friends.

"Ride fast!" she cried to the others "Ride as fast as you can, and don't look back."  Her friends exchanged apprehensive looks; then nudged their horses to a gallop.

On they rode, not daring to turn and see how far behind the men were. By now, Amanda was sure that whoever they were, the riders were not after them to talk, for if they were friends, they would not give chase like this.  The wind rushed by Amanda's ears, blowing her hair from its tie, to fan out behind her as she rode. This gave her an idea. Waving her hand behind her, Amanda heard the rider's cries of dismay as their horses reared, refusing to cross the wall of lightning-ignited fire now blocking their way.

"Stop!" she called to her companions, once they had ridden out of the sight of the men  "Get off and hide behind trees." They did as they were told, dismounting and scrambling behind the shrubbery. Amanda lifted her spell. The riders galloped past them, thinking that their quarry were far ahead by now. Amanda could hear her the heavy breathing of her friends, crouching low beside her. As the man rode by, Amanda glimpsed the coat of arms on one of their yellow cloaks; it was a bear and a falcon, paired around what appeared to be a jewel of immense size.

The hoof beats slowly died away, and they cautiously emerged from behind the trees. 

"Who were they?" Caroline asked breathlessly.

"I think they were looking for us." Amanda said, her voice slightly tainted with sarcasm. When Caroline looked hurt, Amanda sighed, and said, "Sorry, I'm just a bit frazzled, I don't mean to be short with you. I _wish_ I knew what the prophecy said. It would help us to understand what we're up against."

There was a long pause, for no one really knew what to say to this. Or at least so it seemed.

"I can show you," said Maeve quietly from behind her, and they all turned at once to look at the redhead. "I know it sounds weird, but the thing I dreamed about just happened, or at least part of it did…. So if I can see the future, why not the past?

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            Ooh, very cliffy…sorry, but I had to keep it suspenseful, it will all start to make sense soon…in the meantime, tell me what you liked/disliked, what you think will happen, and how it is so far…I'd really appreciate it, just so I know how everyone likes it…if you don't have time to do that, just leave any review…however short (even if longer is better) so thanks, and review, review, review, and I will try to update this weekend…(that is, if I get a lot of reviews…) so I'll see you then, and let's go for 70 reviews (only 7 more) since I gave you an extra long chapter…and I'll post my comments soon, in the meantime, tell me how you like it…


	8. The Seer and the Secret

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I've updated…I've been really busy…so I've put in a lot more then I was going to, to make up for it…I've come to a conclusion, but I am going to let you guys (the reviewers) decide: I am too busy to keep updating every week with comments…it simply takes too long. If you guys really want comments (individual reviewer responses) then it will take me three weeks to update with every chapter. If you guys want a chapter more or less every week, then I will do away with comments to individual reviewers, and just put in head-and foot-notes, and answer any _questions_ you guys ask…so you decide…and I'll follow it the next time…once again, I am very sorry, but I am just very busy lately…thanks for all of the reviews…you guys are amazing…here is the chapter, and it should explain a lot…hope you like it…

Read the note at the end for more info…and have fun:

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**The Seer and the Secret**

They all gaped at her. Maeve looked down, as if ashamed, and then Amanda said,

"Well, why don't you try?"

"I'm not sure how," said Maeve resignedly. " I didn't know I was a seer until just now. I don't know how to scry."

"Close your eyes," said Amanda, sounding much more like her husband then she would ever know. "Reach deep within yourself, to your source of being. In vision a prophecy being made in the university in Carthak, some five years ago, when Numair was a student there."

Maeve obeyed, she closed her eyes, her expression one of forced concentration. The minutes passed by, and Amanda began to think she had been wrong about Maeve being a seer.

Then, suddenly, Maeve opened her eyes, and began to speak in a voice that was not hers.

"It happened in a room in the palace in Carthak, five years ago. Five men witnessed it, all were black robe mages. The Emperor Ozorne, Inar Hadensra, Neraso Garlearer, Arram Draper. They were the only ones to hear the prophecy, the only ones to know. The prophecy went like this: 

'By midwinter of the year four hundred and thirty, the fate of the eastern lands will have been changed forever. By one who has died, but is not dead, one who has walked the winds of time, and changed things that should have been left to lie. This one will have power no other possesses, and will change every country forever. Carthak will be thrown into anarchy, Scanra will see war a decade too soon, the snowy fields of Galla will be turned blood red with the taint of death. Tortall will have power earlier then it ever should have, Maren and Tuisane-" Maeve faltered, her breathing shallow, seeing the past seemed to be costing her a great deal of strength, beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead, and she was paler then usual. She gritted her teeth, and continued. "Maren and Tuisane will wage war with Tyra, and Tyra will be plunged into chaos such as it has not seen since the days before the dominion jewel came. All this will happen and be righted again, better then before, but weather by the doer or another, only time will tell…" Maeve swayed, gasping for breath. 

"Well," she said hoarsely, as if she had screamed until her voice was gone. "I did it." She gave a little moan, and collapsed. 

They all rushed forward, and Emily said breathlessly,

"Is she…?"

"No!" said Amanda, rolling her eyes at Emily, and feeling around in her saddle packs. "She's _not_ dead. It just takes up your strength when you do magic, and that was a really big thing she just did. In fact, I'm surprised she could do so large a spell on her first attempt." she stopped looking, and sighed. "Too bad I don't have Numair's Wakeflower. Oh well, we might as well set up camp for the night."

"What on earth did _that_ mean?"  asked Caroline as the others unpacked 'About 'walking the winds of time'…and all of that? Isn't the prophecy supposed to be about _Numair_? I mean to say, Amanda, he is a great guy, but has he really altered the fate of the world?" 

"Maybe that wasn't the prophecy at all," said Emily, still looking disheveled. "and Maeve's just gone mad…it would be about time." Caroline and Amanda laughed, and Amanda said,

"Well, I don't know about Numair changing time and all of those other things, but he _is _the most powerful mage in the eastern lands, so I guess he could have 'power no other possesses' and he has died…but he's not dead…it just doesn't seem likely…"

"Maybe they've made a mistake in taking Numair," said Caroline, "At least we know why he is in Tyra…since their time is growing thin, and I can see that they don't want to be 'plunged into chaos such as they have not seen since the…' hang on, does Alanna even _have_ the Dominion jewel yet?"

"Yes," said Amanda, "she's not _that_ young, you know." 

They heard a groan behind them, and turned to see Maeve, who had sat up, and was looking very tired and grumpy. They exchanged wary looks; they all knew what she got like when she was tired.

"Never Again!" Why do I have this accursed stuff anyway?" her voice was still little more then a whisper. "I wasn't born here."

" Nor was I." Amanda reminded her," strange things happen between worlds."  she pulled a small bottle out of her pack "Here, drink this." Maeve eyed it suspiciously, as if she suspected an attempt to poison her. "It just helps to restore your magic…unless, of course, you want to sit in bed for three days?" Maeve drank it,  grimacing at the taste. 

"It's disgusting!" she said, swallowing the end, and making a face.

"I know," said Amanda, grinning, "Numair used to make me drink it all the time. It tastes horrible, and he didn't realize for the longest time that it doesn't even _work_ on Wild Magic. As for your voice, I don't know much about the sight, but I would guess it'll come back soon enough, you just hurt it by reciting a spell that powerful." Then she had an idea "Maeve! I need you to do one more thing for me."

"No more magic."

"It won't take up anymore. Just close your eyes and…see us." 

"_What? _"

"See us." said Amanda patiently, "Since you have the sight, you can probably see if anyone else has magic."

"Fine." Maeve closed her eyes, and said after a moment, "Yes, Man, you're covered in blue fire…" she gave a little gasp of surprise. "And Linee is covered in green!" 

"What?" said Caroline in alarm "I can't have it too!"

"Can you tell what kind?" Amanda asked Maeve eagerly.

Maeve screwed up her eyes, then said, "Just the gift, though she would be best to use it towards healing…this is so weird!"

Caroline moaned, and put her face in her hands.

"_I_ don't have it…do I?" asked Emily with apprehension.

"No." said Maeve, opening her eyes, and yawning. "Can I go to bed now please?"

"Yes," said Amanda distractedly, still thinking about all that she had just heard. Maeve climbed into her bedroll, and was promptly asleep within minutes. "Linee, it's not that bad, don't worry about it until you have to. Now we should probably get some sleep, we'll reach Numair tomorrow."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next morning, everyone awoke and got ready to ride again. Maeve was still pale, and did not say a word to anyone while they cleaned up the camp. Caroline and Emily were themselves, though, and bickered non-stop for half an hour. It wasn't until they were about to leave that Amanda realized something.

"My necklace!" she cried in dismay, reaching for it out of habit, and finding the thing that had never left her side in four years was gone. "It's not here! It must have fallen off while we were riding…" 

"You mean we are stuck here _forever_?" Caroline asked desperately. 

"We have to go back and search," said Emily in a matter of fact way, "We can't just-" 

"We don't have time," said Maeve quietly, and they all turned to look at her in surprise, "We need to get there as soon as we can…before it's too late… please, you   guys, trust me." she said in embarrassment, as they gaped at her. "I've seen it, and…you have no idea how real it was." she shuddered, and the others exchanged wary looks.

Finally, Amanda said softly, her voice barely more then a whisper, "Don't worry, we'll find a way to get you guys back. Now, lets go, we have no time to loose."

They rode into Tyra that day, a busy city full of fisherman and merchants; it's streets bustling with people. Amanda's magical tie to Numair led them to a foreboding-looking building on the edge of the woods, rather like a prison, but unmarked and without any indication of what it was for. There were three men outside of the entrance, carrying swords and the same coat of arms that Amanda had seen the day before. 

"We need something to distract them," she said thoughtfully, trying to keep the worry from her voice, "Maeve-"

""I couldn't even if I wanted too." her friend answered wearily.

Amanda had remembered how Alanna had said once that it was easy to create sleep. "Linee, imagine them becoming very tired, knock them unconscious long enough for us to get in and out again."

Caroline gave her a fearful look, and then closed her eyes. Amanda felt waves of exhaustion wash over her, and knew something was wrong, but had no time to tell Caroline what she had done. She felt as if something very heavy had hit her on the head, and she collapsed. 

When she came around, she found Caroline knelling over her, looking sheepish, and heard Maeve and Emily cursing at her, both sounding equally as groggy. 

"Sorry," she mumbled, helping Amanda to her feet. "At least they're asleep now." 

They made their way through the door, using the keys they had taken from the guards. The four of them descended the spiral staircase, past full and empty cells and dark rooms with tables and chairs. All of the occupants were out cold.

"Did you knock out everyone in Tyra?"  
asked Emily, grinning at Caroline, who laughed.

They reached the end of the stairs, and walked down a long hallway to the cell at the end. At first, Amanda thought there was no one in there, but saw upon further inspection that there was a man in the corner, lying on the ground.  She rushed in as soon as Emily opened the door. 

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            So…very suspenseful…is he dead? What will the prophecy entail and whom does it refer to? What will happen to Amanda? You won't know until you review…let's aim for 75 (only 5 more this time), and depending on weather you guys decide that you want every week with less comments or every three weeks with more comments, I will see you then…so please, please, please give me your input…it really matters, and your suspicions and thoughts, anything…so I'll see you Friday or in three weeks, and tell me what you think…Have a happy Easter…

Thanks-

Queen of Connaught


	9. Reunions

Hey guys, thanks for all of your reviews. Going by the fact that no one said that they _had _to have personal comments, I have decided to update every week with mentions of who reviewed and answers to questions.  This is the chapter you've all been waiting for…hope you like it…thanks to all of you who reviewed! Reviews are the things that I wait for when I update…so I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and thanks to all who reviewed for chapters 7+8:

Adele Starminster

Aimee Damita 

Witchblood13

Robinwyn

Lady Rhian Knightmage

Miliko01

Ophelia-waterhouse

Wildmage101

Thanks again, keep it up…and without further ado, I hope you like the chapter:

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Reunions 

Numair was lying on the cold, hard, stone floor; his lanky form limp and motionless. He looked positively ill. He was very white, and his robes were faded and tattered. He was unshaven, since he had not been home in nearly five days. Amanda put her hand on his own, and found that his skin was cooler then it should have been. But he was alive; she could see the rise and fall of his chest from beneath his robes. She turned frantically to Caroline, and she found was swaying, looking paler then usual, and behind her Maeve was clinging to the doorframe. 

"What's wrong with him?" Amanda asked Caroline desperately.

"Well," gasped Caroline, "there are dampening spells on this floor that drain the gift. They won't affect your Wild Magic. He's lost a lot of blood, see the cuts?"

Amanda pulled back his sleeves, and saw that there were several long, deep cuts on his arms and hands, even one shallow one on his neck, where a sword had been held there rather sharply as he had been questioned. She looked up at her friends, now feeling sick. They had tortured him. She noticed that one of Numair's hands was closed around something, and she could not pry them apart.

  "He's just unconscious because of my spell," Caroline reassured her, " but I can't wake him up without my gift." she added apologetically. 

Amanda, rummaging around in his robes, found a small vial of Wakeflower. She held it beneath Numair's nose, and uncorked it. After a moment, he began to cough, and sat up, opening bleary and tired eyes. He blinked up at them for a moment, obviously confused, and then he whispered,

"Amanda?"

She threw herself upon him and kissed him passionately, which felt rather strange, considering he had not shaved in five days, and tickled slightly. He kissed her back, and warmth and relief that he was all right flooded through her body.  After several minutes, he withdrew his lips from hers, and began to kiss her cheeks, nose, and was just reaching her eyelids when someone cleared their throat loudly from behind him. 

"Will you guys wait until we are out of the _prison _to do this?" said Emily, sounding slightly amused. Numair turned around, noticing them for the first time, then turned back to Amanda. 

"I thought…you were dead." he said quietly, "They told me that you had been killed, and gave me this." He held up the thing in his hand, and Amanda saw that it was her necklace. She took it, and fastened it around her neck. " I knew you'd never give it up willingly, you must have lost it. I missed you so much… you probably want to know why they-"

"We know." interrupted Caroline hastily, "Maeve is a seer, but we don't have time to explain it now, we have to go before the guards wake up."

He blinked at her, and then got unsteadily to his feet. She draped one of his arms around her shoulders, and helped him walk out of the cell. They climbed back up the stairs, and out of the doors. When they reached the daylight, they ran for the cover of the trees. When they reached the place where their horses were tied, Numair fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Caroline knelt down beside him uncertainly, and placed a hand on his wrist. His breathing slowed, and he gazed up at her in amazement. 

" How do I heal?" she asked Amanda.

"You touch the place where you want to heal, and imagine it disappearing. At least I think so…" she glanced at her husband, who nodded.

Caroline placed her fingers on each of Numair's cuts in turn, and they closed and disappeared. Some of the color returned, and he sat up, looking much better, and thanked Caroline, who blushed, looking embarrassed. 

"Well," said Emily, "Since we've found Numair and gotten back, we should probably be going."

"You don't have to." said Amanda, "You can stay if you want."

"We'll some back to visit," said Caroline, "we do have to properly learn how to use our magic's."

"Besides," said Maeve airily, "there are…_other_ appeals back home."

They all exchanged farewells, hugged, and stepped away from Amanda and Numair. They clutched the necklace between them, closed their eyes, and disappeared, leaving only the clear blue stone where they had stood only a moment before.

"Now," said Numair after a moment, turning back to Amanda and taking her into his arms. "Where were we?" she giggled, but was cut off almost immediately as he kissed her sweetly.

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            Yay…finally a non-cliffy, although the one in the next chapter will be very much a cliffy…numy is back, not dead, friends are gone, though will be back at some point…and all is well…for now, at least that is…I will update by Friday if I can, and otherwise most likely that weekend, since I may be too busy Friday…so let's aim for 77 reviews (only 4 more, I know you can do it) and if I get more, I may update earlier then expected…I would love to hear how you like it and what you think the prophecy is about/what will happen next…but just any review is better then none…I finished writing by the way, now I just have to type up all of it… so review, review, review, and I will see you soon…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught 


	10. The Black Robe Mage

Hey guys, sorry I've been so long, it's just that I've been busy, and I haven't had many reviews…(see the note at the end) but that's okay, I understand…kind of…so this is a good chapter…nice and long…like everyone wanted last time…so this should explain more to you guys…all leading up to the answering of the question that has been repeatedly asked…so…by the way…do any of you watch Alias? I know this is random, but the finale is in two weeks, and it's my second favorite show…so, thank you to all who reviewed, I really appreciate it:

            Aimee Damita

            Robinwyn

            Lady Rhian Knightmage: My average is about 1000…I know I should do better…will try…thanks

So thanks to all of you who reviewed, and keep up the good work, and now, without any further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter:

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**The Black Robe Mage**

When Amanda awoke the next morning, she found Numair at the riverside, washing his face, which was smooth after shaving. He looked much better then he had the night before, and grinned when he noticed her watching. 

"I thought we'd make our way back today. It's much too dangerous to stay here for long…" he did not elaborate on this statement, but Amanda understood what he was referring to. "I'll go and saddle up the horses." 

Amanda nodded and went to pack up their camp. They had been riding through the woods for half an hour when they paused to get their bearings. Numair straightened up suddenly while reading a map, and turned. Amanda realized immediately what was wrong. Eight men galloped into the clearing, and surrounded them on all sides. The man in the center rode forward. He had short brown hair, sickly pale skin, and wore a black robe just like Numair's, and an expression of grim satisfaction. 

"Did you think you could escape that easily Draper?" he asked Numair, a cynical smile spreading across his face. 

Numair turned quickly to Amanda, his emotions impossible to read on his dark face. "Run." he said quietly, "You can get away. I'll distract them."

"No." she retorted furiously, as the men closed in on them. She turned to the men behind her, and threw a handful of sparks into their faces. Behind her, Numair was fighting four men, black fire flying in every direction. The man in front of Amanda drew his sword, but she called up a wisp of wind, and it flew out of his grasp.  She whirled around to the man next to him, but in her haste, she did not notice the archer on the other side of the clearing aiming right at her. 

He drew his bow, and let the arrow fly.

It hit Amanda straight in the chest, the impact of the blow knocking her back, and she fell from her horse and hit the ground where she lay motionless for a few moments, blinded by pain. Her horse reared, and she crawled away from his thrashing hooves, trying to ignore the white-hot fire now burning from where the arrow had hit her. Gasping for breath, she managed to crawl over to a boulder and prop herself up against it. 

It was then that Amanda noticed the mage standing twenty feet away from her, still smiling sickly. He threw a ball of yellow fire at her, and Amanda could not move out of the way. The slightest movement caused her side to throb painfully, and she had no choice but to let it come, bracing herself for the impact.

It never hit her.

The yellow fire was engulfed in black, shortly before vanishing. Numair had dismounted from his horse, and was striding toward the mage. Amanda had never seen him like this. His cloak billowed behind him in a wind that had not been there a moment before, and the air around him crackled with magic. His face was white with rage, his lips were tight, his eyes narrowed. The magic around him seemed to grow with every step he took, until by the time he came to stand between the mage and her, the very air was so thick with power that it was hard to breath, and left Amanda gasping.

The foreign mage threw yellow fire a Numair, who in turn put up a shield to deflect it.  Numair spoke a word that Amanda had never heard before, and a spell if such immense power streaked past her that it made her wince. The enemy mage was engulfed in yellow fire, and when it cleared, he was gone, and the other riders fled in fear. Numair paused for a moment, staring at the spot where the mage had been, and then he turned, and hurried over to Amanda.

He knelt down beside where she now lay, shaking as waves of dizziness washed over her with the blood now pouring from the wound in her chest. He gently turned her limp form over, and cursed when he saw her white shirt stained scarlet with fresh blood. The sense of immense power that had flared up from within Numair had faded as quickly as it had come, and was replaced with an expression of grave concern mixed with fear. He quickly stripped off his shirt, and tore it into stripes, which he tied around her wound, avoiding the arrow still protruding from deep in her side.

" That won't last long. We have to get out of here," he told her quietly, "they will send more when they come back. I'm sorry, I'll see to your wound when we get far enough away." He looked down at it and winced. "Don't be insane." he said as she tried and failed to get up and go to her horse. "You're in no condition to ride." Numair leaned down and scooped her up into his arms as if she were as light as a feather, careful not to hurt her side, and carried her over to the place where his horse still stood. "Don't _ever_ scare me like that again. When you fell from your horse and didn't move…I thought…" his voice trailed off shakily.

"_You_ scared me."  whispered Amanda, trying to smile and managing only a pained grimace, " how you got angry like that..."

Numair looked down, as if embarrassed. "Sorry."  he mumbled, "I just lost my temper...seeing what happened to you."  They had reached his horse, and he placed her gently on its back, climbing up behind her.  "Now, just try and hold on until we get far enough away" Amanda felt too sick to reply, but instead contented herself on slumping back into the warmth of the warmth of the man behind her, too weak to do much more.

……...……………………………………………………………………………………….

What seemed like hours later, the horse finally came to a halt, and Numair dismounted, lifting Amanda off the horse. He carried her over to a broad tree, and laid her down to lean against it, while he went over to get something from the saddlebags. Amanda felt, if possible, worse then before, her breathing came in sharp gasps, and her vision was oddly blurred. 

"Who was that mage?" she gasped as Numair returned, carrying cloth, bandages, and a small bottle of some unknown substance. He sat down beside her, and pulled out his dagger.

"That was Ecam Werdna." he said, as he cut away her shirt around the arrow, and grimaced at the sight. The makeshift bandages had long before been soaked useless with blood.  "He went to the university with me, some six or so years ago." He took a deep breath, looking pale. "Now, I have to take out the arrow, so I'm sorry if it hurts…this is one of the few times when I wish I had studied healing."  Amanda nodded numbly.

He grasped the shaft of the arrow, and pulled it out hard. Amanda cried out in pain as it came free and blood spilled out of the open wound, burying her face in Numair's shoulder to keep from screaming any more. He drew breath in sharply from between his teeth, as if he were the one in pain.

"I'm sorry, Amanda." he said, his voice cracking. "I had to…" he pressed the cloth against her chest to slow the bleeding. Amanda was feeling lightheaded, and but her lip to keep from feinting.

"He was the Tyran mage that captured me…. He had heard the prophecy too…the only one left alive besides myself…and Neraso, and but I don't know what happened to him after the university. He wandered off somewhere, I haven't seen him since." Numair continued, removing the cloth, and pouring on the foul smelling substance that stung horribly where it touched Amanda's cut.

"Too bad they haven't found out about anesthetics yet." said Amanda, her voice oddly muffled by Numair's robes. He laughed at the sound.

"What did you say?" 

"Never mind."

" Magelet, you have to let me put on a bandage." he said, trying in vain to pull away. 

"No." came the stifled reply, " I like it here." Amanda was content to sit there, her face in Numair's chest, breathing in his scent. His warm arms wrapped around her, holding her tight.

"I was so afraid…" he whispered in her ear. "When I turned around and saw you fall, I could have sworn you were dead. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Amanda lifted her face from his robes, and he leaned down and eased his lips gently over hers. She hung there, limp in his arms, weak, exhausted, and dizzy from the loss of so much blood. But, as always when she kissed Numair, none of it seemed to matter as long as she was safe there in his arms.  He took his lips away after a moment, and she sank back into the protective circle of his arms, and drifted into darkness.

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            So…how was it…I gave into the requests for more, and gave you guys a chapter twice as long as I was originally going to…how was the plot? I am slowly giving the build up to the crucial part…so what do you guys think is going to happen? Who is the prophecy about? Who is Neraso? Who is Ecam, and why is he important? You will learn all of this in time…but sooner if you review then if you don't…let's aim for 81…if you get that much or more, I will update this weekend, if not, I will wait until I do…I don't know why I haven't been getting many reviews lately…weather you guys don't like my work anymore, or if you just haven't had the time, or anything like that, which I understand, because I don't get many chances to review, but if you are reading and not reviewing, lease review! So, there was my lecture, and please consider it…I want to know how you guys like my story…thanks…so review, review, review, and I'll see you this or next weekend…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	11. Tyra

Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long, but I've been busy studying for finals ect, and I haven't gotten a chance until now…so here's the chapter…and there's one more thing, I haven't posted in a while because I haven't gotten the number of reviews that I've wanted in like three or four chapters…and I'm starting to feel like no one reads my work…so here it is, I will not update until I get five reviews…(89 total) and if I don't in a long time, then I may stop updating for a while…sorry…I just don't feel like anyone reads this anymore, so what is the point of frequently updating if you guys don't like it…now if you read and don't review, then review just this once…thanks, so without further ado, thanks to those of you who _did _review:

Robinwyn

Lady Rhian Knightmage

Wildmage101

Thanks, guys, those of you who did review, and to those of you who didn't _hem hem_, please do, so here is the chapter, and I hope you enjoy it:

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Tyra **

Amanda awoke to the morning light trickling through the trees. She was still being held in one of Numair's arms. She looked down, and saw that he had wrapped a bandage around her chest, where the wound still ached dully. Numair opened his eyes, smiling groggily at her.

"Good morning Magelet."

"'Morning." Amanda yawned widely.

"How do you feel?" he asked her anxiously, peering at her bandages from beneath the bedroll. "You're still very pale."

"I'm fine." Amanda said dismissively. "It was just a cut." This was a lie. In truth, she felt very dizzy, unable to focus on one thing for more then a short while without her vision blurring, exhausted, and slightly feverish.

"You can't fool me." he said, with a grin. "I'll go down to the river to wash up, and you can…put on a new shirt…I'll be right back…" he tossed her a loose white blouse from their packs, and strolled down to the river. Amanda looked down and realized he was right, her shirt was stained with blood, and torn from where Numair had cut it away around the wound. She striped off what remained of her shirt, and carefully put on the new one, wincing as the deep gash across her ribs throbbed painfully, having to pause every so often to take deep breaths to keep from passing out.

Numair returned minutes later, and was just about to saddle the horse when Amanda heard the thunder of hoof beats. Before either of them had time to act, twenty or so men had ridden right by them, passing through the trees. Amanda braced herself for another battle, though she knew that this time she would never make it, but the men simply rode by, not even looking at them. Amanda glanced at Numair, and was surprised to seem him wearing an almost smug smile on his face. Upon seeing her puzzled look, he said,

"Oh, don't worry, they can't hear or see us. I put a concealment charm on this place, I didn't think you wanted anymore visitors last night."

"They can't even tell that it's here?" asked Amanda incredulously, and Numair grinned.

"Not _my _concealment charms. I thought we'd head home today, that way I can warn the king, and you can see a healer."

"No." said Amanda determinedly. " I want to get to the bottom of this, we don't even know _who_ the prophecy concerns…unless it _is _you."

Numair shook his head. "I've never changed time. Ecam thought it was me, that's why he had me captured. But I believe it has begun to enter his mind that it might be someone else, that's why he didn't have me killed. As for not going back, I really think-" he stopped, perhaps upon seeing the look in her eyes, and sighed, "It's no use to argue with you, you're too stubborn. We won't go home; we'll travel to the capitol, and figure it out from there. As long as you see a healer as soon as we arrive."

Amanda nodded, glad Numair agreed with her. He leaned down, picked her up, and placed her on the horse, ignoring her protests.

"Tell me that you think you can ride like this yourself, and I'll let you go right ahead." he said, as he climbed up behind her, wrapping her in his cloak, and tucking the edges in. "It's to keep you warm," he explained.

Amanda pulled the hood over her head, and leaned back against Numair, glad she didn't have to ride alone. She thought about what he had said, and whom the prophecy was really about, if not her husband. She may have been imagining it, but Amanda thought she had hears a hint of shiftiness in Numair's voice when he had mentioned it.

She had heard that same tone once before, on a cool fall day like this, some five years ago.****

a

Amanda fell asleep several hours later to the soft rhythm of the horses canter.  She drifted in and out of consciousness, fighting the exhaustion threatening to overtake her, and loosing the battle. Occasionally she would awake, and turn to gaze at Numair from beneath her hood. He wore an expression she could not read as he gazed into the distance, apparently lost in his own thoughts. His expression was almost one of sadness, and yet, at the same time, his eyes seemed to glitter fiercely with a kind of inner light. It reminded Amanda of the hidden power she had always known he possessed, but never fully seen until the night before. This was the man she loved, brilliant yet secretive, kind and protective. She smiled to herself, and fell back asleep.

When she opened her eyes, Amanda found to her surprise that they had reached Tyra. It looked a great deal different by twilight then in the morning. It was very much a seafaring city, from the tall, wooden-massed ships in the elegantly curved harbor, to the small and well-made, thatched houses where the fisherman lived. The city gave out an unmistakable air of age, from what Amanda knew, it was over a thousand years old.

There was, however, Amanda noticed, no palace, and as far as she knew, Tyra did not have a monarchy. She did not know, however, what kind of ruler they_ did_ have, for there had to be some kind of government, or the city would not prosper as it did.

 They made their way into the city, passing through markets full of vendors, colorful tapestries, and exotic smells. Many of the man they passed wore the same coat of arms as she had seen on Ecam's men; the bear and the falcon around what Amanda now realized must be the Dominion Jewel.

"Where are we going exactly?" asked Amanda, sitting up straight and making Numair jump.

"I thought you were asleep…well, first we have to find somewhere to stay, I'm tired of sleeping on leaves. Then, I thought we'd go look for my friend Neraso Garlearer, the only black robe mage left besides Ecam. Neraso was a good friend when I was at the university, and besides Ozorne." Numair made a face. " Neraso might know who the prophecy concerns, or have any information that might help us in our search.

"How will you find him?" asked Amanda. "I mean you said yourself last night that you hadn't seen him since the university. How do you know he's even _in_ Tyra?"

Numair smiled, looking rather sheepish. " A black robe mage, Amanda; has more power them almost anyone else in the world, besides one another. Therefore, they can always find one another, simply by searching in their magical senses for an immense amount of power. It's how Ecam and Inar were able to find me, and how I was able to find Ozorne. It's not easy to do, well at least for a mage with only the gift. Your friend, I believe, could do it effortlessly, having the sight."

Amanda nodded, she had an excruciating headache, and on top of that, felt strangely light headed. She was still exhausted from the day before, and had not truly gotten the chance to sleep on the way there.

They had reached the inn that they were staying in, and, the horse came to a halt. Numair dismounted and helped Amanda down. She put an arm around his shoulder, and let him take most of her weight, as she leaned against him, too tired even to speak, having not even stood in almost two days. Once they got up to their rooms, Amanda sent their clothes downstairs to be washed in something besides stream water for the first time in a week. She left Numair, deep in meditation, looking for Neraso, and entered the bathroom.

She had had a maid bring up hot water, and now that the bath was steaming and warm, she stepped gingerly in, and then slid into the water happily. She enjoyed every minute of it after a week of bathing in frigid streams, letting the warmth of the water wash over her tired body.

Once Amanda had dried off and gotten dressed, she walked into her room, where she found Numair, lying on the bed, his eyes closed, and his color slightly paler then usual.

"Numair?" she asked anxiously. He raised one eyebrow, but his eyes remained closed. "Are you all right?

"Yes," he muttered, apparently determined not to get up, or even to open his eyes. "I'm fine, I had forgotten how _hard_ it is to do that. I did find Neraso though, and I established a speaking spell with him. He said he'll come to see us later, it would be too dangerous for us to go see him." Numair did not elaborate on this last statement, but instead turned on his side, and was promptly snoring within minutes.

Amanda sighed, and walked into the next room, where she sat down and opened a book. After about half an hour passed, there was a knock on the door, and she sprang up in alarm. She knew it must be Numair's friend, but Amanda had never met him, and would rather her husband answer the door.

She hurried over to where he was still asleep, and called his name, but he ignored her, apparently determined to sleep some more.

"Numair, wake up! There's someone at the door!"

Despite her calls and shakes, he still would not get up, and Amanda, now desperate, seized up a pillow, and began to whack him with it. He sat up immediately, opening tired eyes and grinning at her.

"You'll regret that, Magelet." he said grabbing the other pillow, and tossing it at her. They continued their pillow fight, ignoring the now frequent knocks at the door, until a deep male voice said awkwardly from behind them,

"Um…Arram…is this a bad time?"

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            So…how was it? Suspenseful…is this Neraso…or Ecam…or someone we have not yet met? Anyway…you may not know for a long time if you do not review…so please do…and I will stop pestering you…the whole point of writing like this online is to get feedback, to see if anyone likes it…but if I don't get any, then I guess you guys don't like it…and therefore I may just go back to sharing my stories with only my friends for a while…so whatever you want…it's not up to me if you guys review…but please do…and I'll see you on Friday, if not later then that…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	12. Neraso Garlearer

Yay!!!!!!!!! Thank all of you wonderful, faithful reviewers…I am sorry for ever doubting you… but all of you who have ever had the feeling that no one reads your work you will understand what I thought…but you guys made my reviews go up…and now I am happy…well, this is the part you have all been waiting for (and upon reading this you will probably scroll down and skip all the lovely comments I so painstakingly type out for you…oh well, I have tried) so thank you to all of you who reviewed:

Lady Rhian Knightmage

Witchblood13

Thalia

Robinwyn

Li

Aimee Damita

Thanks again…keep up the good work, and without any further ado, the chapter (make a guess and hold your breath) :

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**Neraso Garlearer**

Both Amanda and Numair whirled around to see a man standing by the open door, who, by all accounts, must be Neraso. He wasn't exactly what she would call good-looking, at least at first glance. He was tall, though not as tall as Numair, but held himself in such a way that made him seem taller. He had medium length black hair, and keen grey eyes that seemed to sparkle. He wore not a black robe like Numair and Ecam, but a long hooded cloak, which he appeared to have just removed, judging by the slightly tussled look of his hair. He was smiling, which made the haunted, foreboding look lessen, making him seem less distant, and more human.

"Neraso?" said Numair, quickly standing up, and walking over to embrace his old friend. Neraso shot a questioning look at Numair, with a glance toward Amanda, and Numair introduced them.

"This is Amanda, my wife." He said, his face still red from laughing so hard. Neraso gave Amanda a nod, then said,

"So _you're_ Numair's wife, I didn't believe him at first when he told me he had gotten married."  He exchanged a look with Numair, who grinned rather sheepishly.

"Don't ask." He said, seeing the inquiring look on her face, and then he turned back to Neraso. "People change in time, and people are changed by others." He glanced back at Amanda, who blushed, touched by his statement nevertheless.

" Are you all right?" asked Neraso suddenly, looking at Amanda. "You're rather pale."

Numair turned to Amanda, looking concerned. "I'm fine."  she said dismissively, but he came over anyway, and put an arm around her waist. "We need to talk." He told Neraso. "Ecam is after both Amanda and myself, he is searching for the one spoken of in the prophecy before it is completed."

Neraso nodded, and Amanda was taken aback to see that he did not look surprised "It's the only thing keeping him from becoming the king of Tyra." he said with a scowl. "Once the prophecy is prevented from occurring, his path to the throne will be clear. Isn't the prophecy about you?" he asked, directing his question this time at Numair, who shook his head. "At least Ecam seemed to think it was…"

Amanda was feeling dizzy again, as if she might fall if she didn't sit down soon.

"Numair," she said, interrupting them, "I think I'll leave you two to talk, I'll be in the other room if you need me."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Numair asked her, looking still more concerned.

"I'm fine." she assured him, thought she felt far from it, and walked into the next room.  She didn't even reach the chair before she stumbled and stopped, swaying and gasping for breath. Everything around her was grainy and tinged with black. Her head felt light, and was soaring up, leaving her body. She fought not to faint, but the exhaustion of the past few days had finally caught up with her. Her side was aching…she was drifting away…voices echoed strangely around her…the slamming of a door…a man's voice was calling her name…Numair's voice…Strong arms wrapped around her as she fell, and she never remembered hitting the ground…

Images flashed rapidly from behind Amanda's closed eyelids, so fast she barely caught glimpses of each one before the next one took it's place.

She was standing behind a bush, watching Numair talk with Ozorne's men…he was telling her that he did not know of a weather mage in Carthak…she was reading her book, wishing for Numair…Daine was telling her that Amanda may belong in this world, that only time would tell…she was watching Maeve, with that strange, blank look in her eyes… 'One that has power no other possesses' …she was dancing with Numair…she was watching herself say that Amanda had changed history…'One who has died, but is not dead'…she was speaking to the great gods, who told her she could have her life back… 'One who has walked the winds of time'…she was standing in her dorm, holding her necklace…

            Then, suddenly, understanding blazed inside of her, the knowledge of who…and when…of how she had been killed, how she was the only weather mage in the eastern lands…how she two worlds…and Amanda understood…it was not Numair, it was not Neraso…

Amanda sat bolt upright in the darkness, and found she was lying in bed.

"Numair!" she cried. "Numair!" and next to her light blazed, and she saw Numair, holding a handful of black fire laced with light, and looking tired and shaken.

"What…? Amanda-"

"Numair…" she gasped, desperate to tell him, he who of all people should know. "The prophecy…it's about…me."

She could see Numair's face as the light flickered across it. To her, he looked haunted, a somehow older look in his eyes. Odd as it may seem, yet somehow it struck a chord in Amanda's memory.

"I know." he said quietly. "I've known ever since the moment I first saw you."

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            Ooooooooh…suspense solved at last…now it should all make sense…and yet cause more suspense all the same…how fun…before I go to where I live in the summer (which has no computer) and therefore in about two weeks I will not be updating as frequently as I would like…so I will give one very long update that you can read in sections if you would like, as if I was updating weekly…so I will update Friday if I can, and if not, this weekend...so please, please let's aim for 95 reviews!!! It's so exciting it's getting up to 100…yay…so review, review, review…and submit your theories about what will happen next…actually, since this is no much fun, let's make a deal…if anyone guesses what will happen next, I will update as soon as I read their review!!!!! Even if it is in 10 minutes…so there it is…and also for anyone who can guess who Neraso is…and that's all I will say about that one…so…review, and I'll see you soon…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	13. A Day Without Rain

Hey guys, sorry, can't leave a long note…my comp died and I promised my super-long chapter…so here it is, review a lot please…this is the PG-13 one…sorry…

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**A Day Without Rain **

Amanda remained quite still as the impact of these words hit her.

"What? How could you have known?"

Numair sighed, looking more tired then she had ever seen him, but mentally rather then physically. He took a deep breath, then said,

"Well, for one thing, you're the only weather mage who I've ever met, it's probably the most obscure branch of magic in the world. It was then when I began to suspect you, and when you told me about your other world, I knew I had not been wrong to do so."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Amanda, suddenly furious. Numair had known, had known all along, , and he had never told her, never let her know.

"I knew that Ozorne would want to kill you, as he tried to kill me. I liked you when I met you, I didn't want to see you hurt." he said resignedly.

"Hurt?" Amanda almost screamed. "I would be more hurt not knowing what I was up against, all of these years…I never knew…" Then, something clunked into place. "It's why you took me with you, wasn't it? _That's _why you helped me get away from Carthak?"

"I was trying to _protect_ you!" he said furiously, now raising his voice as well. "if you didn't know, they could never make you tell, never prove it. You would be safe from suspicion, oblivious to your own peril, and therefore you wouldn't be in danger. I just couldn't bring my self to tell you…Amanda, what are you doing?"

For she had gotten out of bed, grabbed her cloak, and without even answering him, opened the door and was gone to the pitch black night.

Amanda ran down the street, not knowing where she was going, desperate only to  run as far away as she could from the man she was so livid at. She was angrier with Numair then she had ever been in her life. He had known that she was wanted by Tyrans, Carthakis, and Mithros knows who else, and for five years he had never told her anything.

She came to stop by a stream, and leaned against a thick tree, ignoring the tears of hurt and anger flowing freely down her face.

She heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see Numair striding toward her, looking furious.

"Don't ever do that again!" he yelled. "I was trying to _protect _you!"

He grabbed her by the shoulders, and swung her round to face him. He pulled her towards him, and kissed her with a malevolent, fierce passion. She tightened her fingers, so that her nails bit into his shoulders, not quite sure weather his gesture was out of anger or affection, but knowing that whatever reason it was for, she didn't mind it. Something stung sharply on Amanda's lower lip, and a copper, salty taste filled her mouth. It took her a moment to realize it was blood; Numair had bitten her.

He broke free, gasping, and opened his mouth, ready to argue some more, but it was then that he must have noticed her face, because he closed his mouth again before a sound escaped his lips. Amanda realized she was  very pale, with tears streaming down her face, and blood pouring from her lip. His face softened somewhat, as he reached down into his robes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." He said, looking apologetic. "You just made me angry when you ran like that, and didn't give me a chance to explain. I was worried that Ecam's men might catch you, alone in a dark street in Tyra. Here." He withdrew his handkerchief from his robes and pressed it against her mouth to stem the blood flow.  "I didn't mean to hurt you, it was anger…and relief that made me kiss you like that…I thought if no one knew, if _you _didn't know, they wouldn't…torture you…like Ecam did to me. No one could ever willingly bring someone else to that fate."

Amanda would still have been angry with Numair for not telling her, but she realized that when he said this that he was shaking. She out her arms around him, and rested her head against his chest. She had never heard him talk about his time in Ecam's dungeons before, and she suddenly felt sad. 

 "Just don't do that again." she said, controlling her temper at last. "Although I don't mind so much when you show your temper in _that _way. Just don't…biteme like that…" she shivered at the memory, then grinned, and he grinned back.

"You've been asleep for two days. I had a healer come and see you. She said you should be all right. I should have made you see someone as soon as we got here. Neraso and I have been thinking while you were resting, and we have decided that since the prophecy foretells a war between Tyra and Maren, we must assume that Ecam is preparing his men to fight…you see, he is a very powerful mage, and his family has always held honor in Tyra, they had a lot of gold, it's how he rose to power, by making people fear him."

Amanda reached up to run her hands through his long, silky hair. "What's this?" She cried in exasperation, finding it tied back, and trying desperately to find and pull out the tie.

"_Anyway,_" Numair said, ignoring Amanda's furious attempts at his hair, it was a regular habit of hers.  "Tyra is leaderless, and although Ecam has a great deal of power, he is not the true ruler. What he says is taken as law for most of the country, but he is not content with that alone. He wants power that he can only get in the thrown. He wants to be king. He is not, however, of the royal blood. He wears the coat of arms of Zefram 'the bear', the Tuisane mercenary who came to Tyra some 200 years ago, and with the help of Miache, a Carthaki thief, and the dominion jewel, saved Tyra from total chaos. He was a hard, cold, cruel man, and though Tyra has never had a true king since then, it has nevertheless prospered. Ecam is the-Ouch! Don't do that!" for Amanda had found the tie to his hair, and with a cry of triumph, ripped it out, and was now running her hands through his hair with glee. "Soon I'll have none left!" he cried in exasperation. "Do you know how long it takes me to get it into that thing in the first place?"

"Oh, but you shouldn't." said Amanda, still frantically grabbing at his black locks. "…Or perhaps you should. It's so much more fun if it's hard to get. So what were you saying about Ecam?"

He glared at her for a moment, then continued, still wincing occasionally as strands of hair parted company with his scalp. "Ecam is the only one left of_ that_ line, but as I have already mentioned, they are not the true kings." he sighed, "No, that line was lost long ago."

There was a long pause.

"There is something you are hiding from me." Amanda said warningly. "No more secrets! There are more of the ancient kings, aren't there?"

Numair hesitated. "There is one." he said slowly.

"Who?"

"Neraso Garlearer is the last heir to the throne of Tyra."

Amanda blinked, caught completely off her guard. Then, suddenly, she saw it. The secretive, almost handsome face, lined with sadness and distance. The man behind the cloak, hiding in the shadows, with his keen grey eyes and his flickering smile. She grinned; this description had once been very familiar.

"It makes sense." she said softly.

"It does." said Numair. "He does not dare make a claim to the throne, not with-Let go of my hair, woman!"

Amanda promptly dropped it in surprise, cringing as her husband glared at her, eyes narrowed like a hawk searching for its prey. Evidently, in her surprise, she had pulled on it harder then before.

"Continue." She prompted him after he had paused, still massaging his head.

"Fine, but _don't_ do that again, it hurts! Ecam will kill Neraso if he finds out that Neraso is the only other thing besides the prophecy keeping Ecam from the throne. Neraso and myself are the only black robe mages left. Inar gave up the title when he moved to Scanra, and Ozorne was never good enough anyway, but he was the emperor, so…Ecam has the power though, and so does Neraso, you should see him when _he's_ angry. I told him we would meet him here tomorrow morning, now that you're awake, and we can discus which steps to take next.

"So…" said Amanda slowly, putting each piece of the puzzle into its proper place before the whole situation could make sense. "What you're basically saying is that it's we three…against _Tyra_?"

Numair laughed. "You could say that." he said

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            Amanda awoke the next morning, got dressed, and waited with Numair for Neraso to come. Finally, after several hours, there was a knock on the door, and Numair opened it to admit his heavily cloaked hooded friend. 

"I was followed on my way here." Neraso explained, removing his cloak, and taking a seat beside Numair, "I think I lost him in the market place." He grinned at Amanda, who was lying on the bed, with a quill and parchment on her lap. She was attempting to compose a letter to Alanna, explaining where they had been for the past month, without giving too much away. She was not having much success at all.

"I don't know what to write." she complained to Numair . "What should I say, that we just randomly decided to travel hundreds of miles south to Tyra in the middle of the night, and don't know when we'll be back?"

"You could say that," said Numair innocently, "or you  _could _say that we went to visit your relatives. I mean, we have been telling everyone at court for the past five years that you come from Maren." He laughed, and Neraso looked puzzled.

"You'd better explain." Amanda informed Numair , grinning. "I have to write."

"No," he contradicted her, "It's _your_ story, not mine."

"fine." She said, glaring at her husband. "You won't believe me anyway Neraso, but I'll tell you anyway. I come from another universe a different place and time. I came here accidentally some five years ago. You see, this place is written of in several books I had read back in my old world, and it seems though it is possible to travel into the books. They are a sort of gateway to this world."

Neraso blinked, eyes wide with surprise.

"I know," said Amanda, looking down, "If I were you, I'd think I was mad too."

"_No,_" said Neraso slowly, "I don't think you're mad at all. I only have one question. You said it was a _book_ that brought you here?"

Amanda nodded, then suddenly, she laughed. "You black robe mages certainly are used to seeing strange things. Numair  wasn't surprised either when I told him."

There was a loud banging noise, and the slamming of a door. Then _Maeve  _walked in, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Amanda!" I can't even _read _those darn books without coming here. It's very…" her voice trailed away as she took in the rest of the people in the room for the first time. Her face took on an expression of wide-eyed shock, such as Amanda had not seen her wear since eighth grade. She raised one eyebrow in apparent interest at Neraso, who in turn raised both of his own.

"This," said Numair , grinning at the expression on Maeve's face, as well as Amanda's uncontrollable fit of giggles. "is… lets see…last time I saw here…she said she wished to be called Maeve N-"

"Gatels." said Maeve firmly, glaring at Numair .

"Yes…anyway, she is Amanda's friend from back home." Neraso nodded, apparently torn between confusion and amusement. 

"Well…I ought to go." he said, "I'll visit you tomorrow, if I'm not still being followed…" he scowled, then said quietly, almost ashamed. "You know, a hunted man may sometimes weary of distrust, and long for friendship." With that, he put his cloak back on, and turned to leave.

"Neraso," said Maeve suddenly, speaking to him for the first time. "Not all those who wander are lost."

Neraso paused with his hand on the doorknob, and turned slowly to face Maeve. He gave her an oddly significant look, then he smiled, and she blushed, looking away.

Neraso, still looking slightly alarmed, opened the door and left. There was a pause, then both Amanda  and Numair  burst into peals of laughter. Maeve, however, looked thoughtful.

"Man?" she asked, "do you know who he looks like?"

Amanda nodded, finally finished laughing. "weird, isn't it?" she explained who Neraso was, and about the prophecy concerning herself. 

"Neraso Garlearer?" said Maeve slowly. "hmm…oh well, just get me if you need help…don't hesitate…"

She took the necklace from Amanda, and was gone in a whirl of wind.

Amanda and Numair exchanged looks.

 "This could get interesting." said Amanda, grinning.

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That afternoon, Amanda and Numair  decided to explore Tyra since Amanda was feeling up to leaving the inn at which they were staying.  As they walked through the market places, they talked about that morning's events, and when the war was likely to occur.

"Do you think we should return home?" Numair  asked as they paused to look at a handsome display of brightly colored scarves from a venders stall. Amanda picked up a red scarf, and examined it carefully.

"No." she replied absently, reaching up and tying the scarf around his neck. "You know, this would look good on you." She smiled.

He removed it quickly   , looking slightly alarmed. "No, I don't think so." he said, returning her grin.

"I do."

"Yes, but if my life were up to you, Mithros only knows what would happen. I'd have no hair left for one thing!"

Amanda paid for the scarf, tied it around her wrist, and continued to walk beside Numair .

" I don't think we should return home right now." She said.

"What everyone who needs us at home? What about the King?" he asked imploringly.

"Jon can wait." said Amanda scornfully, "just like he waited when I told him what had happened to you."

"Leaders have to make tough decisions, Amanda." he reasoned. "It would be difficult for him to send men into Tyra without declaring outright war."

"Well, I _did _write to Alanna." she replied resignedly. "Though I doubt it was of much help, considering it explained nothing, and merely said that we didn't know when we'd be home." She paused, then asked the question that had been haunting her ever since they had first met Neraso. "do you think there will be a war?"

"Yes." Numair said simply, and when she looked alarmed, he continued, "Well, we know that Tyra will go to war, though weather led by Ecam or against him, it is yet to be seen. We know there will be a war, the question is only when."

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Amanda awoke that night to the deep rumbling of thunder in a late summer shower. She smiled, watching the storm unfurl outside the window. Then, suddenly, an idea hit her, and she sat up abruptly in bed.

"Numair !"

"What?" he sat up next to her in the dark, sounding groggy.

"There's a thunderstorm."

"So?"

"Let's go out in it!"

"You must be crazy." he said, sounding as though he really  was frightened for her sanity. "It's the middle of the night!"

But Amanda had already gotten out of bed. "Come on!" she said, walking to the door, and opening it. Numair got up, and went after her, clearly attempting to get his revenge for being woken up at this time of night. She an out the doper, down the steps, and out into the pouring rain.

"We don't even have cloaks on." he protested, without much conviction.

"Who cares?" Amanda cried gleefully, holding her arms up into the air and spinning around,  holding her head to the sky and catching the drops of rain in her mouth. "Come on, it's not that bad." She grabbed his and, and pulled him along with her.

            Numair  muttered something about having married a madwoman, then he gave up and joined her.

            "You see?" she said, "We should do this more often."

"You're all wet." he said, laughing. "Covered in raindrops."

"Where?"

"Well, you have one right on the tip if your nose. Wait," he said as she reached to brush it off, "I'll do it." He leaned down and kissed her nose, she giggled.

"Anywhere else?" Amanda asked him playfully.

"Yes. You have one there." he said, and kissed first one eyelid, then the next. "And there," He kissed both of her cheeks. "And there." He put a finger to her lips, then swept her up into his arms, and kissed her. Her  hands went immediuatly to his hair as she returned the kiss. He twirled her around, then set her back down on the ground.

Numair took Amanda's hand, and together they danced, spun, and skipped down the lane, he only in his breeches, she in her nightgown, laughing like children, barefoot in the rain.

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They returned home after several hours, soaking wet, and laughing fit to burst. They had finally dried off, changed, and gotten back into bed, turning off the lamp, when there was a knock on the door. They both groaned, and Numair went to answer it. There was a murmuring of voices, a pause, then Numair  said, "Yes, I'll tell her." And softy shut the door.

"Who was that?" Amanda asked as he walked back over to her, and sat down in a chair, putting his face in his hands.

"That was Neraso." he said, and when he looked up, Amanda saw by the light of the sun creeping slowly over the hills that he was paler then usual, and looked shocked. "Tuisane and Maren have declared war with Tyra. Ecam and his men have been fighting too long in their lands, and though he is not the true ruler, he is gathering every man that will fight for him. Tyra will be in a state of open war by tomorrow."

There was a long silence, as both of them absorbed what the magnitude of the situation. Then Amanda said softly, "What are _we_ going to do?"

"We are going to stay and fight for Neraso, and Tyra as it should be. We must find Ecam, and kill him before the war can really start." his voice shook slightly as he said this, but it was nonetheless with determination.

"Numair ?" Amanda said hesitantly, her voice trembling.

"Sweet?"

"I'm scared." she whispered.

He climbed back into the bed, tenderly eased his arms around her, and held her like he'd never let her go.

"You know," he murmured softly into her ear, "Before I met you, I had liked other women, kissed other people, as I am sure, had you. When I first met you, I like you well enough, I even  suspected myself of loving you, but as I had never known love before, I wasn't sure. Remember the first time we ever kissed? It was when you had gotten hurt from the lightning, and I had realized how much I cared what happened to you, that you were more to me then a student, even then a friend. Before then I had liked kissing well enough, had liked women well enough, but nothing had been like this, nothing had even come close…but when I kissed you…something I had never before understood became clear. I realized why people fall in love, get married, and spend the rest of their lives together, without even a second thought. And I thought ' so this is what it's like' and I knew that there could never be anyone else but you. And after all of that, if you think I'll ever let something happen to you, you've got another thing coming." he said fiercely. "I'd die first."

Amanda remained completely still as the impact of these words hit her, then she realized that ears were flowing silently down her face.

"Thank you." she whispered, her voice slightly choked.

"Don't mention it." He said in a matter of fact way. There was a pause as he seemed to come to a conclusion. "You should probably go home, escape while you can, and warn Tortall of the war."

"No." said Amanda determinedly, "I'm staying here with you and Neraso."

"I'll be worried every moment you're out of my sight."

"Tough." She reached to dry her eyes on his clothes, and realized something fir the first time.

"Numair?" she asked apprehensively.

"Yes?"

"Are you wearing a shirt?"

"I never sleep with a shirt on." he said, laughing.

"Well," said Amanda slyly, "Don't start now."

He held her until she stopped shivering, murmuring softly into her ear, and stroking her hair. And as she drifted into darkness, wrapped in the lanky arms of her lover, his breath warming her face, Amanda remembered when she first came to live in Tortall  every day as she went to bed, she would think that the next morning she would wake up, finding it all to have been a dream.

And how she never did.

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            How was it? Review, Review, Review Please…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	14. The Tyran War

Hey guys, can't chat, have to go, enjoy the chapter, will update again very soon, I have a comp again now…enjoy the super long chappy… 

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The Tyran War 

****The next morning, Amanda awoke and went to bathe, leaving Numair to sleep. When she re-emerged in a robe, she found her husband standing by the open window. He was not dressed in his black robe as he usually was, but in a pair of breeches and a loose, partly buttoned shirt.

He was gazing out of the window, across the city and out to the sea. He stood with his hands and his pockets, the golden sunlight trickling across his jet-black hair. Amanda itched to run her hands through those midnight locks, but knew this was not the time. In fact, he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, not even noticing her presence. His expression was serious; his eyes were unfocused as he stared at things Amanda couldn't see, remembering things she had never known. He looked lost, forlorn, even heartrending, and she longed to put her arms around him; he was very attractive this way after all, but knew that she could not.

Finally, he sighed, and seemed to come out of his trance. He turned, saw her, and grinned. She walked over to him, and grinned back.

"Are you finished being pensive?"

"Yes." He glared at her.

"How did Neraso know about the war before everyone in the capital did?" she asked, realizing this for the first time.

" He has his ways of knowing things others wish him not to know." He replied unhelpfully.

"You mean he's a spy." said Amanda, absent-mindedly playing with the loose whips of his hair, which greatly annoyed him.

He waved her hand away impatiently. "Stop that. I'm trying to think."

"You think too much." she protested, but nevertheless let go of his hair and went to get dressed. Numair called to her through the screen that was the dressing room, "What will the weather be like today?"

"How should I know?" she retorted bad-temperedly, then upon realizing he was not in the mood, she replied, "it should start to rain around noon, and last for about three days. Why do you ask?"

He cursed. "It's a bloody battle, one that takes place in the rain. I _would_ ask you to hold it back f it was just for one day, but if it goes that far back, it would be too hard for you to keep in place."

"I can do it." She said defiantly, "I'll just need time."

" Time," said Numair, "Is the one thing that we lack the most."

She had finished getting dressed, and emerged wearing a cotton shirt and breeches. Around her neck, as always, hung her necklace, but it was now tucked beneath her shirt, so that only the silver chain was visible from beneath her pulled back hair.

"Where are Ecam's men?" Amanda asked, beginning to pack up her things.

"They are being held off back by Neraso's men in the stronghold of Pearlmouth, to the west border of Tyra. They are making their way to the capitol, and must be stopped before they can get that far. A civil war can sometimes be even more dangerous then a war between two countries, where whichever side looses becomes part of the territory of the winning side. In a civil war, however, the battle could go on for years on end without any gains." He sighed. "Well, get your pack. We had better go now, Neraso needs all the men he can get, and if we leave now, we should be at Pearlmouth by sunset.

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Amanda and Numair rose hard for several hours, galloping across wide fields and thick woods. They rode west by Amanda's directions, who knew the skies much better then her husband. They paused to rest around noon, and tied their horses to two trees around a lake in the forest clearing. They dismounted, and sat on the forest floor by the lake, where they unpacked their lunch from the saddlebags.

"When we reach Pearlmouth." Numair gasped, still out of breath from riding. "I'll cast a spell of concealment, so we can pass through the fighting unnoticed, and enter the fortress."

"All right," said Amanda, stepping gingerly into the icy water. "I have to push the rain back _some_ right now or it'll be pouring by the time we get there." Seeing the look on his face, she quickly added, "Don't worry, I won't go _that_ far, just enough to hold it until we get there."

Numair still looked mutinous as Amanda rolled up her breeches and waded into the water, but Amanda ignored him. She closed her eyes, and reached up towards the skies. There she found dense clouds, heavy with rain, backed up for miles. She sighed, knowing it would take a lot of power to hold back this storm. Amanda shaped her blue fire like a net, and fastened it around the storm with her mind, holding it in place. She could usually persuade the rain from coming, but not when there was this much of it. She took a deep breath, and _dragged_ the clouds back several miles until they were well away from Pearlmouth, at least for the time being. It was very difficult work, and Amanda had to concentrate so hard on it that she didn't realize she was wading deeper into the water as she fought to control the rain. When Amanda opened her eyes, she saw that the water was up to her waist. She cursed to herself for allowing this to happen, she was now covered in sopping clothes. It had gotten dark, which meant that the spell had taken several hours. She waded back to the shore, tired from having preformed so much magic. Numair was waiting for her when she got back, he had started a fire, and handed her a cup of tea as she sat down, trying not to smile.

"Oh, don't look smug." Amanda snapped, sitting down and scowling.

"It's just that you look a little strange, wet from the waist on down." He said, giving way to a grin.

Amanda rolled her eyes and waved her hand, calling the water out of her clothes and sending it back to the lake. Within seconds she was completely dry. She sat down, grinning at the stunned look on his face.

"That's a useful trick." he remarked, still looking surprised. "Though you still look…" he laughed evilly, and Amanda, now very annoyed, waved a hand in his direction, showering him with sparks of electricity. He jumped, brushing them off hurriedly, before his robes caught fire. He glared at Amanda, who giggled.

"Sorry." she gasped as he continued to glare.

"Ouch." said Numair tonelessly. "That hurt."

"I don't know what came over me." she said, still breathless with laughter. "You know I'd never _really _hurt you. I guess I was just annoyed."

"_I_ know what's wrong with you." said Numair, still retaining that hilariously sarcastic state of seriousness. "It's Tuesday." Then he laughed, seeing the shocked look on her face. "Oh well, its no matter." And he bent down to kiss her. Amanda's giggles immediately ceased, as her arms went around his neck. She had decided long before this that she like his kisses very much, despite the fact that her lips were literally tingling, no doubt from the shock she had just given him. She didn't even have the heart to tell him that it was indeed Saturday. When he finally took his lips away, Numair gave Amanda a puzzled look. She was holding her finger to her lips, which were still stinging.

"That _hurt_." she explained. "You are always injuring my lips, from biting them to shocking my mouth so I can't even feel! It's a wonder I can still kiss you."

He laughed. "Well, you rip out my hair."

"That was different." She yawned, and slumped back against him. Numair rested he head on her hair, his warm breath tickling the back of her neck.

"I love you." he whispered into her ear. "If this is our last night together…" his voice faltered.

"If we die tomorrow, I will have known you, and loved you. I will have no regrets, I would not have changed this moment for the world, and will remember it forever, even if tomorrow never comes." whispered Amanda.

There was a long pause, then Numair whispered, almost fearful to break the silence.

"You're right. Though, indeed it may not."

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They reached Pearlmouth the next day. It was a large, sturdy fortress being attacked by men wearing the yellow coat of arms that Amanda had come so used to seeing. Numair preformed a concealment charm on himself and Amanda as they rode through the gates, passing among fighting men and mages without being noticed. When they reached the inside of the fortress, Neraso recognized the spell, being a black robe mage he, and they entered. Once they were inside, they explained their reason for being late, and asked how the battle went. Neraso told them that his men were just barely holding Ecam's men off. He believed that if they could hold them off long enough for Maren to come to their aid they would win.

Neraso looked somehow different then he had when Amanda had seen him last. He was no longer cloaked in shadow, but dressed in armor, with his tousled hair tied back out of his face, and a naked sword at his waist. He looked proud and upright, and his grey eyes glittered like burning ice. To Amanda, he looked like the king that he might have been had not Ecam stood between him and the throne.

The king Tyra might one day have again

Amanda and Numair told him that they would like to help with the battle. Numair would help to hold off Ecam's mages, and Amanda would use the weather to try to find some way of defeating them. To do so, they must both be up on the deck, in the open air. They said farewell to Neraso, and made their way there.

"Now," said Numair to Amanda as they climbed the stairs, "We both know that this will be very dangerous, and if either of us…if either of us does not survive it…I want you to know…I love you."

They had reached the upper deck, and he drew her close as they kissed with hunger and desperation.

"I love you." Amanda whispered hoarsely, for though their kiss had been swift, it had still left her breathless. She gazed longingly up into his eyes, the ebony eyes that had sparkled with secrets and wisdom, the eyes that had reflected the sky when he had asked to marry her, the eyes that had blazed with anger when he had stood between her and Ecam, and the eyes that Amanda may never see again.

She walked numbly over to a curve in the deck, and sat down in the bend, against the wall. Numair knelt down beside her and muttered something. A bubble of black fire instantly surrounded her.

"What's that?" she asked him, slightly wary.

"An arrow ward." He replied, grinning. "We don't want to make the same mistake twice." She glared at him, and he laughed, before swiftly kissing her, and striding off, gathering power as he went.

Amanda watched him walk away, then took a deep breath, and plunged into her magic. She needed something immense, more then just lightning or rain. She couldn't create weather out of nothing; she at least needed something to make a spell out of.

Pearlmouth was a fortress on the sea.

The see could be used for magical purposes better then almost anything else; with its natural currents and waves. If Amanda could simply increase the power in these currents, the waves would get larger and larger until they broke over the sea wall, and into the field below. She set to work at once doing this, feeding her power into the water as it began to churn and bubble with the immensity of the spell. She then curled it upward and out until a huge wave towered over her. She did not hear the yells of the soldiers below as the towering wave grew. She gave the water one last push, and the tidal wave crashed down on the fort, enveloping everyone in the salty water. Amanda thought of everyone it would kill; Neraso's men as well as Ecam's would die. The wave broke over her, dragging her from Numair's spell and back with it to the sea. She hit her head on the stonewall of the deck, and darkness surrounded her.

When Amanda opened her eyes, she found herself on the field of the battle, wet with salty water. She must have been dragged here by the water. Her head throbbed from where it had hit the wall, and there were long, stinging, painful welts on her arms from where she had been pulled through Numair's spell. The field around her was littered with bodies, some dead, some lying wounded on the ground, and some walking among them, stumbling in the direction of the fortress. One of the men walking through the fields saw Amanda and began to walk towards her. It was Neraso. He looked as tired as she was, he was wet, dirty and bruised, and the sword was stained with blood, but when he saw her, he grinned.

"Is this _your _doing?" he asked her, helping her up.

Amanda grinned crookedly "I didn't realize that it would be so…drastic…sorry." she paused. "Where is my husband?" she asked, worried, for she could not find him with her magical tie. Neraso frowned.

"No one has seen him since the wave hit, three hours ago. Come back with me to the fortress and get cleaned up and get some rest, and I'll try to find him with my gift." Then, seeing the expression on her face, he said, "Don't worry, knowing Numair, he's just gotten lost, we'll find him."

Amanda nodded, and walked up to the fort with Neraso. She wasn't so sure, however, that something wasn't wrong with Numair. She had had this feeling before, and since she might be completely mistaken, she did not to this to Neraso. It was fine, she convinced herself. He would be waiting back up at the fort, ready to scold her for using that much magic. But in her mind she knew that something was completely and terribly wrong.

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After the tidal wave had hit, Ecam's men had fled to regroup, and tend to their wounded and dead. Many things had been moved by the water, people had been swept out to the field and forest by the wave, where they made their way back to the fort, or away into the woods.

Out in the forest beyond the field, Numair Salmalín was walking up to the fortress, sopping wet and exhausted. He had drained his magic fighting the enemy's mages before Amanda had done her spell. He wanted to get back to his wife as quickly as he could, to make sure she was all right after performing that huge bit of magic. He did not notice then, the figure huddled in the tree above him, silent as a shadow, watching as Numair walked by.

There was a faint rushing sound, and something stung on the back of his neck. Numair winced, reached up, and pulled a small, sharp, dart-like thing from his neck, and cursed. His arm fell limply by his side, his fingers uncurled, and it fell noiselessly to the forest floor. He knew what it meant, but was determined to fight it, not to let it happen. Numair's vision had already begun to grow cloudy as the poison caroused through his veins, and he felt his legs buckle from beneath him as he sank to his knees. He bit his lip, his eyes unfocused as he fought to stay conscious, but he knew it was no use. His breathing had become slow and shallow. By this time, he could no longer feel his legs or arms, and all conscious thought were focused on one thing, one person. And as the darkness enveloped his senses, and Numair fell to the ground, his lips soundlessly mouthed a word, and even in his defeat he felt the sorrow of the thought that he had failed the one person he had fought so hard to get back to.

"Amanda."

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Ahhh, sweet suspense, review, review, review, and I'll get a chance to leave a longer comment next time.

-Thanks

-Queen of Connaught


	15. The Enchanted Sleeper

Here I am, updating (for once) on time. I'm so sorry I have not got a chance to update more then once or twice this summer…but as I had said before, I had no computer all summer from which to write/go online, but now I'm back, and I will try to update every weekend…if I can, but the chapters will be slightly shorter, since they will only have to last you guys for a week, so here, for the first time in a while, I will give reviewer comments, etc., well, not comments for everyone, but I will list all of your names, and answer any questions you had… especially as I had had such a cliffy last chapter…so here goes, 

Thanks to the following people for reviewing:

_KelDomForever_

_Lady-Kitty_

_Robinwyn_

_Lady Rhian Knightmage_

_Aimee Damita_

_Witchblood13_

_Savvy706_

_Thalia_

_Adele Starminster_

_Wildmage101_

Thanks again to all of you, even those who read but do not review (hem hem)…you guys make it worthwhile to post online. If I forgot anyone, tell me and I will fix it, sorry. In answer to a question about Neraso being bad, you will see, he is not as he seems, in fact, I doubt any of you will guess who he is…and if you do, I will be amazed. I have a deal to make. You guys can ask as many questions (and, of course, give as many comments) as you want, and I will answer the mast Frequently asked one before my next chapter, so consider it wisely, because I will only answer one…now, without further ado, because if I wrote the last chapter like I hoped I did, then you guys will be dying to read this one…here is the chapter:

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The Enchanted Sleeper 

Amanda had gotten back to Pearlmouth, cleaned up, eaten, and was meeting with Neraso to see if he had any word of where Numair could be. He had done his spell, but could only tell her that Numair was close to them, but could not find exactly where he was because Neraso did not have enough magic to finish his spell.

By this time Amanda was very worried. She was sure that something was wrong, but since the fields were still full of enemy men she could not go and look for Numair herself. Neraso said that he would send a squad of soldiers to go with her if they had still not found Numair in several days, by which time Neraso would have enough magic to finish the spell. She was too exhausted to argue, and decided to go along with this plan for a day or two. Until then however, all she could do was wait.

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Several miles away from the fortress where Amanda and Neraso were arguing, a woman sat in a dark room, leaning over a fire and stirring a pot of some thick white frothing liquid. She was middle-aged, rather plump, and wore the simple white robes of a healer. She removed the substance, and set it aside to cool. She then walked over to the pallet on the floor in the corner where a man lay beneath the plain, white sheets. She leaned over him and checked hid pulse, frowning slightly. He was fast asleep, his breathing slow and shallow. His jet-black hair was damp from the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead from the fever he lay in. He was very pale, and tossed fitfully in his sleep, as though trying to come out of it,

The healer poured some of the liquid into a cup, and brought it over to where he lay. Seeing him stir, close to waking, she leaned down and tilted the cup into his mouth so he had to swallow it or choke. He coughed, and thrashed his head from side to side as she forced him to drink it.

"No…" he moaned in between choked breaths, struggling not to sink once again into that poisoned sleep. But he was too weak to resist for long, and the potion was draining his remaining strength as it entered his blood. "Don't…Amanda…can't…get…no…I…must…not…don't… can't…wake…up…Amanda…no." he gave one last groan as she poured the last of the liquid onto his mouth, gulping and choking, his struggles growing more and more weak until he was still, and once again breathing regularly.

"There." she muttered, returning once again to fire. "That's better, we can't have you waking now…he would have my head…I wish you wouldn't fight so…it's not _my _fault… _No one _is supposed to be able to even struggle against Kathedhios…you're particularly strong."

The door opened, and in walked Ecam Werdna. He paused by the pallet on the floor, looked down at the enchanted sleeper, and smiled slowly and with malice.

"Have you given it to him for a third time?" he asked the healer.

"Yes," she replied. "It is the strongest sleeping potion there is…he will not wake for at least a day now…"

"Good." He strode over to her.

"Sir," she said tentatively, afraid of setting off his temper. "Do you know how…dangerous Kathedhios is? There is a poison in it that seeps away the strength of the person who takes it. Prolonged use would cause the sleeper to become weaker and weaker until they simply stop breathing. In short, it will kill him if we continue to use it much longer."

"He will have fulfilled his purpose by then. Afterwards, I don't see much reason for letting him wake."

She paused, then, unable to restrain herself, she asked, "What _is_ his purpose sir? I mean, don't you want to kill him so he will not fulfill the prophecy?" she gulped; it was a risk to mention the fact that she had overheard him speak of the prophecy.

He sighed, as if the purpose of his life had suddenly become clear. "I had thought it was him up until a week ago, but then I realized the fatal blunder I had made in assuming that someone who had _heard _the prophecy could be the one spoken of in it. It says that the one will come from another world, and there is only one person I have ever heard of who has. It is _Amanda_ Salmalín, no Numair. I realized that in order to ascend to the throne, I must eliminate _every _obstacle, including her."

"Then you have made a mistake in capturing her husband?" she asked him, still not understanding.

"No, I have not. Amanda will come for him once she knows he is here. Their love is too great to not withstand such a thing. She will come for him to save his life, and instead they will both die. I will be king of Tyra, and nothing more will keep me from it." he said, staring into the distance as if he could see himself then, seated on the throne. Then the light in his eyes died, and was replaced with his usual malevolent look as he turned to leave. "Continue to give him the Kathedhios, do not let him wake."

"But sir, wouldn't it be better to use Dreamrose, or Nightbloom? They work also, but without half-killing the sleeper." she asked, horrified.

"Nightbloom is unreliable, and Dreamrose wears off too quickly. You will use Kathedhios, and Salmalín will stay here until his wife comes. That will be all." And he turned and strode out of the room.

The healer waited until Ecam had gone, then let out a long, exasperated sigh. Her family had served his for as far back as she could remember, and it was expected that she follow in their footsteps. This, however, was different. She was a healer, not a killer, and this man would most likely die in her hands.

"What a way to fight a war. she muttered, walking over to her bed, for it had been a long day, and her charge would be asleep for at least twelve hours. The poison was very strong; he would not wake until morning. She climbed into her comfortable, soft bed, casting a guilty look over to where the man lay on the floor; helpless and unknowing of the peril he lay in. She felt pity for him, and had Ecam not been such a powerful wizard she would have helped…Ecam had said his name was…Numair. That was it. Numair. She would remember that…and the one he was calling for was…Amanda…the Amanda that Ecam was luring here with Numair…luring to her doom. The healer grimaced as this finally clicked into place. Numair wanted to get back to Amanda, and from what Ecam had said it seemed she would do anything to find him. And the healer knew in that moment how unspeakably atrocious the thing Ecam had done was. He was using the bond they had to destroy them, to win, to carry out his own plans.

He was using love to bring about death, and this, above all else, was unforgivable.

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Oooh, not so much a cliffy as it is menacing, now you know it was Ecam, and that…well, I won't give it all away…so think about that question thing I mentioned before, and write yours in your review if you will. I will update by next weekend if I get at least 115 reviews total (only eight more, you can do it) if I get none, I will wait til you guys read it to update…and if I get more, I will update very soon…so consider your questions wisely, review, review, review, and feel free to give advice, I would love feedback…

Thanks,

Queen of Connaught


	16. Secrets in the Night

Okay, I have finally given up on getting three more reviews and given this chapter to my faithful reviewers, here's the deal from now on, as long as I get 4 reviews per chapter, I will update weekly, if I get more, I will update sooner, and if I get none, I will seriously reconsider writing in , because I'm not so sure people read it anymore…so give me your opinion, please, it's why I write on here in the first place…please, please, please. This chapter is short, but VERY important, as it is the last hint you will get for this matter in a long time…so thanks to those of you who DO review, and here it is:

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**Secrets in the Dark**

Amanda was tired of waiting. She stayed up all night, and during the day tried with all her might to find Numair with what magic she had left, sitting up in one of the towers, refusing to speak to anyone, or even to eat. Her husband could be in grave danger, and she was being made to stay there until he returned. She would not stand for it.

The door to the rooms where Neraso was staying was closed, but Amanda did not knock before opening it. She strode in, to find the mage at his desk, still awake though it was well past midnight, staring down at what looked like a map of the region, on which he had drawn colored arrows and written in names in sharp, scrawling letters. He looked up as the door opened, and a furious Amanda strode in.

"Amanda, what's-" he began, looking quizzical.

"I'm tired of this." She cut him off. "I will not stand another day of anxiety, another night of sleepless trepidation while my husband is missing, possibly dead…there is no way you realize what it's like…going to bed every night…knowing if you are to awake the next morning to that news that…You could never know…and if you did, how could you try to keep me here? He came after me. He _died_ for me. Me, who he had only known for a year then, who he barely could have understood…yet he did understand…he was-is the only one who ever has. And that is why I do not expect you to understand me, only to let me go. I will die for him if that is what it comes down to, for you will not keep me here!" her voice had risen passionately as she spoke and by the time she was finished she was screaming, barely realizing it.

Neraso's gaze was like thunder. "First of all," he whispered in a voice she had never heard him use before, one that held a sort of steely authority. "you have no right to assume that I do not know what is like…I know more about loosing everything I have ever loved then you could even begin to comprehend. This is why I cannot let you go after him to an almost certain death. I cannot loose you both…don't you see, Amanda? This is what Ecam wants! He wants you to follow Numair, it is a trap. If you go after him, you will meet the same fate! Ecam will kill you both, and while it is up to me, I cannot allow that to happen!" his voice had grown softer as he spoke these words, and he looked almost apologetic.

"You will have to," Amanda said, her gaze meeting his unflinchingly, her fury unmoved by this show of emotion from her friend. "It was_ never_ up to you what I will do, and you cannot and will not keep me here." She held up a hand full of lightning, hoping he could not see the effort it was costing her, or that she had not enough magic left to hurt anyone. "I love him, Neraso." She said quietly, her voice cracking as she spoke. "And if you know what love is like, you will understand that I cannot give him up… not for my king, not for my country, not even for my home." She turned to go, and Neraso stood up.

"Then I will not stop you." He said resignedly, "Though I doubt I could even if I tried. In answer to your question, yes, I was in love once…a long time ago. But unlike you and Numair, we were not willing to give up…certain things that prevented us from being together. I supposed it was fate then…though I do sometimes wonder what it would have been like if we had forsaken our destinies to be in love…" he seemed to be speaking now to himself, and his keen grey eyes were misted over with things Amanda could not see.

"I hope I will never have to make that choice." she said softly. "I would give up all I had here for Numair, and still more…but then again," she reasoned, unconsciously fingering the blue stone that hung about her throat. "It may not mean as much as this is not my original home…" and with that, she strode out of the room, her footsteps making no sound on the hard flagstones.

Neraso stared at the doorway long after she had gone, his expression unreadable. And then, very slowly, he reached beneath his shirt and drew out an intricately designed silvery white pendant. For a moment he looked at it in silence, his almost handsome mouth tilted slightly up in a smile, then he turned to the window, his enigmatic gaze piercing the night sky, and whispered his deepest secret to the unfathomable darkness,

"Nor is it mine."

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OOOH…very suspenseful…see what I mean, my next chapter is really good, trust me, I already have it written, so review, and you may get it sooner then later, and as a bonus, if anyone guesses who Neraso is…will get a really long update…so work towards that…cya later

Thanks as always,

-Queen of Connaught


	17. Waiting

Hey guys…Wow, this update is a long one…though it is another sad chapter, I promise the happy ones will come soon…so I have decided that while I do not have thousands of reviewers that review only sometimes, I have several who are faithful readers who follow the plot…so from now on I will be happy with 4 reviews a chapter…for now…so thanks to the following who reviewed:

Robinwyn

Aimee Damita

Lady Rhian Knightmage

Adele Starminster

Witchblood13

As always, if I forgot anyone a thousand apologies to them…and without further ado, the chapter:

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**Waiting**

Amanda made her way stealthily down the stairs and into the stables, obscuring the area in a dense fog so as not to be seen or heard. She saddled her horse, and led it to the nearby woods, where she mounted and left the fort at a gallop. She searched the woods for any sign of Ecam, for she was sure he had not gone far, but was merely waiting for his troops to regroup so he could lead another attack. She searched for hours on end, until it seemed she was going over the same parts of the forest repeatedly. It had been five days since the battle had ended, and Amanda saw no one in the woods on that dark, cold night. Just as she was about to despair of ever reaching him, she rode into a moonlit glade in the center of the forest where she found a small, wooden house. It was an odd place for Ecam to be in hiding, but for some reason Amanda was sure this was the place.

She hitched her mare to a nearby tree, ready to take flight if she must, and crept into the house. It was pitch black inside, but she used her magic to call a soft light to her hand. There was no sign of Ecam, but a plump woman was asleep on a bed in the center of the room…and on the pallet on the floor in the corner was…

Amanda hurried over and knelt down beside her sleeping love. "Numair! Wake up!" she whispered, but he did not even stir. Though she was not a healer, Amanda could tell something was wrong. He seemed thinner then when she had seen him last. He was white as the sheets he lay on, and shivered from fever in his sleep. Amanda brushed the damp hair from his forehead, anxious. She called his name again, but he would not wake.

There was a loud slamming of a door from behind Amanda, and she whirled around to see Ecam in the doorway, smiling nastily at her.

"I knew you would come." he said quietly, "Now I have both you and Salmalín, and neither of you will survive this. A girl and a mage will not block the past I was destined to walk. None of you will win; neither you nor that fool who thinks he can claim my rightful place.

As Ecam spoke, Amanda was quietly searching the room for some means to protect herself, for her magic, having no time to restore itself through rest, was nearly gone. Judging from Ecam's skin color and the way he stood, he had used up all of his magic in the battle as well, or at least so she hoped. She spotted a scabbard, rusty and battered, leaned against the wall, no doubt for protection of whoever lived in the house. She hesitated for a breath, then slowly began to inch over to it.

"Should I just kill you now?" Ecam was saying slowly, apparently enjoying the sight of his triumph. "Or should I let you die slowly and painfully like your husband will? OR perhaps I will keep you in the dungeons of my palace, and live to see the utter defeat you will suffer. Isn't it ironic that the one thing you love most in the world will be your undoing?"

Amanda had heard enough. Sending a silent prayer to whoever may be listening, she lunged at the doorway and grasped the hilt. She drew the sword, which was surprisingly heavy, and required the use of both hands to wield. She strode over to stand in front of Numair, and brought the blade up to guard.

"You will have neither of us." She whispered, so softly that Ecam had to strain to hear what she said. "If you want him, you'll have to go through me."

Ecam blinked, staring at her in disbelief. Amanda did not dare let him see that she was scared beyond her wits, so as not to give him the advantage, although she had in fact, no idea what she was doing. She had never before lifted a real sword in her life. When she had visited Alanna at the palace, Amanda had learned with a blunt practice sword, but not so often that she had held a true blade, and she had not even been that good at it. And there was something else that gave her the courage to do something she would never even have attempted in any other circumstances. She had to protect Numair in any way she could, as he would have done for her. She would not hesitate to die for him, even if he had not done the same for her.

"I have more magic then even your husband." Ecam spat, recovering himself. "And what do you have? Rain? Wind? Will you use a _wave_ to beat me?"

"Your magic is nowhere _near _as powerful as Numair's." she retorted. "Besides, even if it was, you have barely any left. I can see it in you." It was a lie, and Amanda hoped she was right, for if not, it would surely be her undoing.

Ecam drew the sword hanging by the bedstead, and came to stand before her, bringing the blade effortlessly to meet her own. Amanda gulped; she had not counted on Ecam knowing how to use a sword. "Fine." He whispered, his heartless gaze boring into her eyes. "I can beat you at this as easily as with magic. Have your fun, but in the end, we'll play it my way."

Then, suddenly, without warning, Ecam darted forward, slashing at her with his sword, so that Amanda could barely block his blow in time. She broke free with a sweep to the side, and lunged forward, trying to catch him off his guard. Their blades met in midair, and for a moment they stood still, as Ecam pressed his sword down upon Amanda's sword, who held on until he let go, her muscles screaming for the release she would not give them. This continued for several minutes, Amanda darting, lunging, blocking, her opponent doing the same, neither gaining the upper hand. Then, in a fraction of a second, Amanda saw a place where he was unprotected by his sword, and swept her sword up so that his came free, and clattered to the ground behind him.

She snaked her blade up to kiss his thought, and whispered, still out of breath, "Now, Ecam Werdna, we'll play it _my _way."

To her surprise, Ecam simply smiled, and suddenly Amanda's sword hilt blazed with white-hot fire. She screamed, the heat was searing, and her hands were being badly burned. Filled with pain and fury at her enemy for using magic, she gave one last final slash with the burning blade, and a long gash was cut into his leg. He cried out, and was surrounded by yellow smoke. When it cleared, he was nowhere to be seen.

Amanda, now breathing heavily from pain, anger, and exhaustion, dropped her sword, and examined her smarting hands. They were badly burned, and covered with painful blisters. She painfully tore strips of cotton from her shirt, dipped them in the water by the sink, and tied them around her hands. They still stung, but at least they were now protected. She rushed over to Numair, who was still deeply asleep, barely breathing beneath the woolen blankets. She did not know what Ecam had done to him, but whatever it was seemed dangerous. She desperately called her husband's name again, but he did not even stir.

"He won't wake." said a voice from behind her, and Amanda whirled around to see the sleeping woman standing there, looking wary.

"What do you mean?" Amanda asked, fear overcoming her anger.

"He has been given Kathedhios. The very name means 'the poisoned sleep' It is a potion so strong that it will keep the taker asleep for as long as he has been given it. If the taker has it for too long, however, it will seep away at their strength until they can no longer fight it...and…"

"And what?" asked Amanda sharply, though she thought she already knew the answer.

"They will die." The healer's voice was hollow, almost without emotion.

"Can't you reverse it?" asked Amanda desperately, but the healer shook her head.

"I merely followed Ecam's orders, I don't know how to undo it. I wish I could help you…I am sorry for…Ecam would have killed me had I not obeyed him." she looked away.

Amanda nodded. "Then we have to get back as soon as we can…maybe they'll know how to help him back at Pearlmouth…otherwise…" her voice faltered.

There was a pause, and for a moment, the healer looked as if she wanted to comfort Amanda, but then she said simply, "I'll help you get him into the saddle."

Amanda nodded, and together they lifted Numair out of bed, out side, and onto Amanda's horse. As she mounted up behind him, Amanda noticed he was thinner then he had been the week before. She let him lean against her, as he had so often done for her.

The healer gazed up at Amanda, pity and remorse in her eyes, then said quietly, "Do you think…" she hesitated, then plunged on. "Do you think Ecam…is dead?" her tone was almost hopeful.

Amanda shook her head, blind hatred etched in every line of her face. "He is not dead yet, but he will be soon. I promised myself the night he took Numair that Ecam would pay for what he has done. I will not rest until he has." And without further farewell, she turned her horse with one swift movement, and galloped off, leaving only dust in her wake.

The women nodded slowly. She had never met anyone like that girl before. Someone with that much passion, love, and willingness to sacrifice herself for another was quite hard to come by. The healer knew that Amanda would die for Numair if she must, something so powerful and rare that all she could do was nod, not truly comprehending the power of what could compel someone to feel that way for another.

Then she understood, though she could never have told anyone how. It was one of those rare times in life that was unspeakable, when a thought passes between two people like a streak of lightning, then is gone beyond all recollection.

"Goddess bless you, Amanda." she said quietly, turning to go back into her house. "You'll need it."

a

Amanda had reached the fort within the hour, where she briefly explained what had happened to Neraso, who had men come and help her get Numair off her horse. They took her husband to the infirmary, placed him on a bed, and left him to the healers, Neraso promising to check in when he was less preoccupied. The healers said they had heard of Kathedhios, but never actually seen anyone who had been poisoned with it. In short, they had admitted that while Numair may still survive, there was nothing more they could do. Amanda nodded numbly, pulled up a chair beside his bed, and took his hand, ice cold compared to his burning forehead. She gazed into his helpless face, refusing to let the healers tend to her hands, knowing that nothing would ever be right again without him.

To those who walked by the bed in the informatory, the sight was one of the most moving things they had ever seen in their lives, the sight of the girl sitting by the bed, her face drawn and lined as she held the hand of the man whose face was as pale as her own. Healers who had seen men die before them, helpless after a battle, or worn away by years of suffering, ordinary townspeople who had passed the wounded in the fields, and soldiers, hardened by years of war all felt for this young woman and her lover. Her face, filled with fierce pride, determination, and strength, was laced with fear as she openly fought to keep back the tears that threatened to pour from her eyes in and endless flow of sorrow and helplessness. He was all she had ever had, he had held her and brushed away her tears with laughter, stood between her and their enemy, died for her, rescued her, and saved her from the life she had longed to escape from. Now he would die, and everything and anything she had ever loved would be gone in an instant. She would not even get to say farewell to the only person who had ever understood her, ever protected her, ever truly loved her. Such things in life are beyond words, beyond thoughts, beyond tears, so Amanda simply sat there and prayed, wished, and hoped.

She would loose everything she had ever held dear, and there would be no reclaiming it.

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Sniff, sniff, actually, that was quite sad…and to figure out what happens, you must review…plz…117 total should give an update, so work towards that…and if you're good at the reviewing (comments, constructive criticism, etc.) I _may _update by Sunday…and the next chapter, I assure you is worth it…so review, review, review, and I'll see you then…

Thanks,

Queen of Connaught


	18. Awakenings

I have updated after only a day!!!!! Hey Guys…yay, I am so happy, 4 reviews in a day!!! Exactly what I was waiting for…if you keep it up, I may update a lot more regularly (perhaps less then once a week…) so thank you very much, I love it when my stories were reviewed, and thanks to Lady Rhian Knightmage (I think) who told me of that mistake, I will change it to throat…thanks to all of you who reviewed:

Robinwyn

Adele Starminster

Lady Rhian Knightmage

Lady-Kitty

Here's my good, not sad chapter…I was happy to see none of you want me to take down Numair…I do not want to…but we will see, we will see…without further unnecessary ado, the chapter:

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**Awakenings**

Several hours later, as Amanda sat, forcing her eyes to remain open, she heard footsteps from behind her, and a female voice broke through her reverie.

"Amanda? What are _you _doing here? Are you all right?"

Amanda turned slowly to see a short woman in armor. She had shoulder length fiery red hair and violet eyes. The woman was leaning over her, looking concerned. Relief cascaded through Amanda, Alanna could help her, she was a healer, and unlike the dim-witted healers at Pearlmouth, Alanna knew what she was doing. Amanda stood up and embraced her friend, then hurriedly explained what had happened from the night Numair had been taken by Ecam until the night before. Amanda had no reason to be angry with Alanna, like she did with Jonathan, so she did not hesitate in telling her story. When Amanda explained what had happened to her husband, asking almost hopelessly if there was anything Alanna could do.

"I _do _know how to cure Kathedhios." said the older woman, smiling to reassure her friend. "I have seen it once before. Though it may be deadly, it is easily reversible." She made an inquiry to the nearest healer, who went away and quickly returned with a bowl and several powders in vials. While Amanda watched eagerly, Alanna measured out different amounts from the vials, stirred them tougher, and spoke several words in another language. The contents of the bowl glowed purple for a moment with magic, then turned from chalk white to black. Alanna scooped some of the powder onto a spoon, which she held beneath Numair's nose when he breathed.

"It will take a minute to enter his blood." she explained. "You must understand though Amanda, Kathedhios sometimes has…longer lasting side effects…"

But Amanda was no longer listening to what the knight said. All of her attention was fixed upon her husband. He was going to be all right…they were going to be all right…this knowledge had not quite sunk in, for Amanda did not dare to believe that after all that had happened to them things could still be fixed. She could not quite comprehend that it would be all that easy.

But she quickly brushed away that speculation as she glanced down.

He was stirring now, his breathing growing more and more regular, his eyelids flickering. Numair gave a soft moan, raised his eyebrows, and slowly opened his eyes. Though they were bloodshot, and he gazed drowsily up at Amanda, as though just awaking from a bad dream, those dark eyes held the same recognition as they always had, the same love.

"Amanda…?" he muttered faintly laboriously sitting up against the pillows behind him. "I'm not…you're…" and he would perhaps have continued on in this manner had not his mouth been suddenly…preoccupied, for at that moment Amanda had thrown herself upon him in her relief, and was kissing every inch of his face she could reach, finally finding his mouth. Numair froze for a moment, apparently shocked at this behavior, still confused as to where he had _been _for the past five days; then he gave in and returned her kisses. Such raw emotion had flooded through Amanda upon realizing he was all right that all of her fear, anxiety, exhaustion and pain that she had pushed back for the past week came flooding back all at once.

Alanna decided that this was a good time to leave her friends alone, and but as she turned to leave, she couldn't help but take one lat look at the two lovers, desperately clinging to each other as they ran their hands through each other's hair. It was impossible to tell whose face was wetter as tears of joy tricked down their faces. They kissed with such passion and hunger that Amanda felt faint, but did not stop, and instead hung limply in his arms, enjoying the strangely tingling sensation, hoping Numair would never let her go.

It was at times like these when Amanda realized how much she needed him, with Numair she was alive, without him she was lost. It was something about the way he held her, tenderly yet protectively, as if nothing could happen to her as long as she was safe there in his arms. When they finally broke breathlessly apart, they looked around, aware for the first time that almost all of the people in the infirmary were openly staring, and Alanna had long-since fled.

And realizing that at this point they no longer cared.

Amanda grinned, and Numair smiled back, as happy to see her as she was to see him. He was racked with deep yawns, but desperate to be awake, and Amanda helped him to stand, putting his arm around her shoulder, and taking most of his weight. The walked slowly out to the balcony, Amanda breathing in his sleepy scent with satisfaction, he was here, he was safe. They walked outside, and Numair sat down beside Amanda, leaning against the wooden walls, and gazing up at the starlit sky.

"Where are we." he asked hoarsely, looking slightly confused.

"Back at Pearlmouth. You've been asleep for nearly a week. You were captured by Ecam at the end of the battle, and Alanna said you were under the influence of-"

"Kathedhios, I know." Numair said softly, and for a moment he looked sad, distant, almost haunted. Then he shook his head as though to clear it, and asked "What happened to your hands?"

"Oh," said Amanda, looking down at them and feeling foolish. "That was just me being heroic. I should _never _have tried to lift a sword, let alone wield one against a trained mage." She sighed, and leaned against the man beside her, closing her eyes. "I'm so glad you're all right…I was so afraid that…"

"So was I." he said quietly, and though she could not see his face, Amanda suspected it would be one of sadness. "It's at times like that in life when a person realizes what really matters."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Amanda asked, puzzled.

"I had the strangest dreams, now like the ones you have when you're asleep. It was almost as if I was awake, only unable to get back to you. I kept thinking…thinking about when we die, and go to The Realms of the Dead, and look back on our lives, what we will remember. And I realized that it will not be our home nor our wealth, nor the battles of kings and countries, nor weather or not we won a war. But for as long as I live and after, until the end of time, I'll remember you, and no matter what happens, I'll always love you."

Amanda wanted to respond that she felt the same way, that she would never let him go, that she would give her life to keep him from harm, but her throat was constricted with emotion, and she could not speak. But she knew as she looked up into his dark eyes that he understood. After several minutes, Numair said quietly, "We should probably go back inside. Alanna will want to know why we have not told the king of our whereabouts, and I have to speak to Neraso."

He got up, stretching, and reached down to help his wife. When Amanda stood up, she was swamped with waves of dizziness and swayed on the spot. All of the exhaustion, fear, anger, and pain of the past week had come rushing back to her, and her worn out body could not take it all. Her whole figure ached and throbbed with pain; her hands were searing, her side was aching sharply, and her eyes stung with lack of rest and proper care. She had note eaten, slept, or bathed more then once within the past five days, and now she had to pay the price.

"Amanda," came Numair's voice through the blurry, echoing haze that had surrounded her. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." she heard herself say dimly, "I'm just a bit tired.

Then the pain and exhaustion became too much for her to stand, and she gave a little moan, and her knees buckled as she fell in a dead faint.

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Aww, poor Amanda, but still, was it good? My next chapter is good as well, and gives away a little of my endgame or so to speak, which is actually quite complicated and has been like two years in the making…so review, review, review, review, and I will update soon, 121 should do it, and as usual, if more come, I will update before next Friday, maybe…so good advice is ideal, but just any review is great…see you then…

Thanks-

-Queen of Connaught


	19. Creeping Shadows

Hey guys, sorry I am a bit late, but the chapter should make up for that, this is a really good one in my opinion, and cliffyÉsorry, so read and review, and thanks to: 

Adele Starminster

Ribinwyn

Punk Girl Star

Lady Rhian Knight Mage

Lady Kitty

Keep it up, and I'll try to update soon (this weekend, perhapsÉ) So, without further ado, the chapter, enjoy:

ÉÉÉÉÉÉ Creeping Shadows 

Amanda opened her eyes to the sunlit cabin of the ship. Anyone else would have immediately taken in their surroundings, the small, wood lined cabin of the ship with its small windows, or the bed she lay in, with its dense and colorful quilts. Anyone else would have wondered how long they had been asleep, or how far they were from Corus.

But for Amanda, from the instant she opened her eyes, there was only one thing, one person worth noticing, and he was lying in the bed across from her.

He lay on his side; his eyes wide open, silently gazing at his sleeping wife. He grinned when he saw her staring back at him. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Numair asked, his eyes dancing with the smile that played across his handsome mouth.

"I do?" Amanda asked, surprised and slightly wary, "What did I say?

"Well, it wasn't quite clear, nor was it relevant. The only thing I knew was that it was the middle of the night, and you were having a complete conversation with yourself.

"Sorry." she muttered, torn between embarrassment and the confusion remaining from the context if her dream. "I had a really strange dream.

Numair arched one eyebrow in question, making her giggle. "I wish I could do that," she complained. "I've never been able to.

"It's not very hard." he said dismissively, "What was your dream about?

She sighed; there was no way to dissuade her husband once he wanted to pursue something. She told him her dream, not leaving out any details. When she was finished, he looked thoughtful. You've had these dreams before, haven't you?

"Yes," she said slowly, "Right before the battle of Port Caynn. Do you think it's an admonition then?" she asked in apprehension, "Do you think everything she said will happen?

"Until we know for sure, do not take the warning of a goddess lightly. But for now, your guess is as good as mine.

Their trip to Corus lasted three more days of choppy seas and the chill October winds that filled their sails. When the ship finally docked into the busy harbor, Alanna and Numair got off with much relief. Amanda, being a weather mage, loved the open sea, but her husband got seasick easily. Upon their return to the capital, Amanda and Numair decided they had no choice but to visit Jonathan.

This visit did not go as badly as Amanda had expected it would. Though the King was somewhat displeased that she had gone off to Tyra against his wishes, and that she and Numair had not contacted him, he was so relieved to have them back that his rage did not last long. He was grateful for Amanda's defeat of Ecam, who had become a threat to Tortall as well as Tyra and Maren. Jon said that since the commotion in the south had died down, he did no longer needed them, and that they were welcome to return home.

Their home was as Amanda had left it, two months ago, and they settled in as life sunk back into a regular pattern. It was, as Numair frequently reminded Amanda, not over. They were simply waiting for news of Ecam or the war from Jon or Neraso. Life passed by, and still no such word came. October waned into memory, Amanda turned twenty-five; November came and went, leaving behind frost and barren trees. For a while, everything was as it should be, though Amanda thought Numair seemed more distant then usual, spending hours at a time locked up on the third floor, no doubt researching some archaic spell or another. Amanda dismissed this thought, thinking that it was she who felt different, that she was not used the silence after all of the non-stop action of the past few months. And so life wore on without anything worth contemplating occurring. That is, until one dark, snowy night on the seventieth of December.

Why Amanda awoke that night she was never sure. Perhaps it was a sound that aroused her from her slumber, though when she awoke such a silence greeted her ears that was almost deafening. Or perhaps she had awoken from a particularly bad dream. Whatever the reason, however, Amanda sat up in the cold, dark room of her tower as wide-awake as if someone had shouted into her ear.

She looked around, realizing for the first time that Numair's warm form was no longer beside her. Amanda quickly glanced around, a bit of the familiar panic she had felt in August raising in her throat.

Her eyes fell on a figure curled up on the edge of the wide brimmed windowsill.

"Numair?" she whispered, afraid to break the silence that stretched between them. "Numair?

But he did not respond to her calls, in fact, he gave no sign that he had heard her at all. Wondering what was wrong, Amanda got up and walked over to where he sat, gazing out at the black night speckled with white snow. After a moment, she realized that he was chanting softly to himself, or rather out into the night. She strained her ears to hear what he was saying, and caught the words he muttered under his breath:

_A pond of tears, _

_A lake of blood, _

_Could never quench,_

_The fires of love_

_Though we fear death,_

_And those who fight,_

_And creeping shadows,_

_Lace the night_

These words frightened Amanda, for she neither knew what they meant, nor to whom they were spoken.

"Numair?" she asked, with a thread of panic this time, and he turned slowly to face her, as if he were struggling through the waits of the world, inch by inch. And what Amanda saw on the face of her husband made a shiver run down her spine. She had not seen him up close for over a week, his time up in the library had grown increasingly longer, and for the past few nights she had merely felt him beside her, for in the morning he was gone.

His face was pale and gaunt, lined with cares she had never seen before. His hair hung lank and unkempt by his shoulders, as though he had not bothered to brush it in days, and his robes were tattered and graying, though she knew he slept in breeches. But it was in his eyes that true emotions lay. Deep within those newly shadowed, haunted eyes burned the unmistakable fires of despair. He gazed at Amanda without really seeing her, and his eyes held the glazed look of one who is long gone to another place and time, distant beyond recollection.

"Numair?" she said again. "What is it?", and in desperation, she reached out and took him by the shoulders, trying to shake him out of his strange trance, but his form was limp and unresponsive to her touch. She was reminded forcibly of the time he had been drugged by Kathedhios, and unable to hear her calls.

"Get the door." he said listlessly , still not looking at her, but before she could ask what he meant, there was sharp knock from below.

Amanda was jerked suddenly form her reverie, but Numair did not blink. The knock came again, more urgently this time, and after a brief hesitation, Amanda got up and quickly descended the stairs.

A young man stood on the threshold, breathing heavily from riding so fast and far.

"I have a message" he gasped. "For Amanda and Numair Salmal'n. The king would have sent it by magic, but he could not find Master Salmal'n with his gift. The king sends word concerning the whereabouts of Ecam Werdna. The King's spies in Tuisane have found him. He has ordered his armies to march on the capital of Tyra this time, and they are not prepared...

Amanda ascended the stairs, having asked the messenger if he wanted to stay and rest for the night, and been told he was in a hurry to get back. When she got up to her room, she found Numair still sitting, unresponsive, on the windowsill. She sighed, a vehement exclamation of anxiety and determination about what she was about to do. She took a deep breath, and spoke to her husband as if he could hear her, as if he cared about what she said, for somehow it mattered to her that he knew, perhaps because she thought she may never get another chance to explain.

"They've found Ecam." she said, her voice shaking slightly. "That was the King's messenger. Ecam is in Tuisane, sending his troops to attack the capital of Tyra. Jon asks that we go after Ecam, that we find him before he can move his armies. The King sends this as a request- we don't have to go, and frankly, I sincerely doubt _you _will. I don't know what's wrong with you, weather you are under a spell, or some sorrow, or even if anger holds your mind in it's iron fist.

ÔBut at this point, it doesn't really matter _what _it is, only that you will not come with me. But I will go to find Ecam, and if I die, it will not be because I did not pursue my enemy, it will not be because I stayed at home, staring out of a window, not responding to those I loveÉto those who love me." Just as Amanda's voice began to break, it grew stronger, so that by the time she spoke again, it was with the voice of one who has discovered their purpose at last, and will not be swayed from it. "If Ecam attacks Tyra, they will fight back, even to the point of the last death. Neraso would rather die then see his city fallÉand so would I.

ÔSo I will go, even if my love will not go with me, for you do, Numair, that there is more to life then love. There friends and enemies, cities and countries, trusts and betrayals, people to meet and places to go. And if my love will not go as well to the end with me, then perhaps I have made a mistake. Perhaps my sight was blinded by a girlish fantasy I thought was love, but no more real then a character in a book" her voice sank to a whisper, and when next she spoke, it was with the voice of one who has nothing left but the unwavering determination to do the task they had once set out to accomplish.

"But that does not matter now, none of it does. I will go to find Ecam Werdna, and if you will not go with me, then I will go alone.

And without a backward glance, she turned and strode form the room, not even stopping to pack, for she knew in her heart that the task ahead of her required no journey home.

And as she walked down the stairs, she heard Numair say something softly that she could not make out, and when she stopped to ask him what he had said, he did not respond, and so she brushed the thought away as if it were nothing. And it was a long time before she remembered what he had said, or that he spoke with a voice that was not his own, a distant, impersonal voice, one of prophecy that she would never again hear him use. For though seers may sometimes foresee part of the future on will, an ordinary person without the sight may have a vision once in their life. One they will not remember having, one that is usually taken to be unimportant, and one that matters far more then a hundred visions a seer may have combined.

"Freedom found in bitter irony,

Took them to a place where none could follow,

For their life was but a dream,

And in the end, an escape.

And Amanda did not realize what this meant until it had occurred, and by then it was too late, for there was no escape from the spell that was upon him.

But neither was there from destiny.

Oh, I love that partÉhow did you like itÉmajor foreshaowing, and we are nearing the endÉso review, review review,lets go for 125 shall we say

Thanks,

-Queen of Connaught


	20. To Duel the Sorcerer

To Duel the Sorcerer 

Amanda never questioned the unexplainable fact that she knew the exact location of her enemy without being told. She never thought that perhaps she had a sort of foresight herself, or that the gods could have helped her in her search. By the time she arrived at the snow dusted field with its small weather worn house, at night on the third day, she no longer cared how she had gotten there. Everything that mattered now hinged upon the future, not the past, and though it had pained her beyond understanding to leave the one she so loved, she knew that there were bigger things happening there then her and Numair.

Amanda paused for a fraction of a second at the door, not out of doubt, for she had never been more certain of anything in her life. Because she knew this was her last chance to turn around, her last chance to save the life she surely would loose if she decided to duel a black robe mage. She knew that none but a black robe mage could kill another in magical combat, and even then it was nearly impossible, no one else could even come close to victory.

But she had.

Five years ago, almost to the day, she had killed Ozorne, the emperor of Carthak in order to stop him from using the forbidden powers of Chaos to win his war against the rest of the eastern lands. She had chosen her fate then, knowing that by defending her home she would loose her life, just as Numair had when he came to save her right after coming from a duel with another black robe mage. Amanda had won, but she had died in the attempt, and the gods had given her and Numair their lives back for helping them to defend the powers of Chaos in the mortal world.

And as Amanda stood on the threshold of the door of her greatest enemy, she knew that she would never get a second chance.

Then she raised her hand and opened the door.

There was no one inside. The chair by the dying embers of the fire was empty, the bed in the corner deserted, and the chairs by the table showed signs of recent occupation, but no one sat in them. Amanda wondered if she had perhaps been wrong, though she had been so sure of herself, she still could not help but think that all of her searching had been in vain,

Then a cold, cruel voice spoke from behind her. "I knew you would come," She turned quickly around to see Ecam Werdna, standing in the barren field behind her, a smile of pure malice playing about his thin lips. "though I can't quite see why. If the inevitable conclusion to this conversation is as clear to you as it is to me, then I cannot see why a girl as smart as yourself would bother to even start it. I was born to take the throne, and take it I will. A pathetic young _weather mage_ will not stop me. Nor will her husband, whom, I do not hesitate to add, will not come to her rescue." He began to advance slowly towards her, and Amanda realized that it was due to her actions three months ago that he was limping slightly. She ignored the comment about Numair, thinking there was no way for Ecam to know what had truly happened between them.

"No, Ecam," she said, and in her mind she gathered all of the lightning from the air that she could muster, pouring every drop of magic drop of magic she possessed into the spell, knowing that if it could not hold out against Ecam's spells, all of her defenses would be gone. "I may not win, but neither will you. And no, Numair is not here, but I am, and you will fight me instead. I will die before I let you rule Tyra. One was born to rule, and it was not you. The last true heir to the throne still lives, and _he_ will take the throne."

Ecam gave a derisive laugh. "Oh, you mean him. That fool will never amount to anything more then a coward and a mage who does not use his magic. He will never rule." They were moving slowly outside so that they were facing each other under the black sky, with only the stars and the snow rimmed moon to light the fields beneath them. "But if you insist on dueling me, then go ahead, perhaps I'll give you the courtesy of telling your husband how you died, begging for mercy by the end. That is, I'll tell him before I kill him, though I doubt he'll even care at this point what happened to you." He gathered a ball of yellow fire in his hands.

Amanda slowly lifted her eyes to look straight into his, and to her surprise, she smiled. "'The crownless again shall be king' and you, Ecam Werdna, shall die."

And she let the lightning go. It hit his spell in midair, and the two battled to control the other, Amanda pushed all of her strength into the spell, trying desperately to force her power forward. But it was in vain, his power was too strong for hers to even match, much less overcome. Perhaps she could have beaten him if her magic was the gift, as his was, and not magic. Perhaps had not he been a black robe mage, and one of the most powerful in the world, she could have stood a chance. But that was irrelevant. As it was, however, his magic effortlessly enveloped her own, thrusting both of the spells back at her. She was thrown violently to the ground by the sheer power of it, and lay there, unable to get up, unable to cast another spell, trapped and drained of all the strength and magic she had possessed the moment before.

He towered over her now, the pitiless malice in his eyes eminent, and for the first time in her life, Amanda knew she would surely die. Not wanting her last sight to be that of his face, she turned her eyes away, to the ground, as he taunted her.

"Do you know why your darling husband did not and will not come to your aid? Did you think perhaps that he didn't love you anymore? Well, though that may very well be the case, there is another reason. Kathedhios has other effects besides the obvious use of putting people into a poisoned sleep. If someone is exposed to it for a prolonged amount of time, I mean to say more then a day, like Salmalín was, it will have a reverse effect when that person wakes. Instead of making the person sleep, it makes it so they cannot. They are unable to sleep, eat, or think about anything besides the horrible feeling of being helpless that they experienced while under Kathedhios. They are trapped inside their own minds, and remain that way until they die, unable to respond to anything, or anyone around them. And the threat of a worldwide war was not enough to make him break free. Nor was his country, nor his friends, nor even his very life itself. Nothing is enough to break such a spell-"

"Love is enough." said a familiar voice from above Amanda. A starlit shadow fell across her crumpled form, and she looked up into the darkest, coldest eyes she would ever see. Only that they weren't cold with absence of emotion, they were alive and burning with the unquenchable fires of fury.

And they weren't Ecam's eyes.

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Oooh, wasn't that cliffy…I have decided to comment at the end of the chapters…rather then both at the end and the beginning…also, I have some bad news: the next chapter is the last one, I have finally finished it, and it's really good, believe me, so review and you will get to read it. Sorry, but I won't settle for less then seven. 130 total and I will update…so review, review, review, and I will see you soon…

Thanks,

-Queen of Connaught


	21. Seen and Unforseen

Hi everyone…so okey, I haven't updated in like 3 years…but I kind of forgot and then when I remembered I kept putting it off…I don't really go on this site anymore, you see…but that was no excuse to my poor, disappointed, faithful reviewers, and it is for them that I am posting this last snippet of my story…so thanks to everyone who ever read my stuff…and I hope you like this one:

**Seen and Unforeseen**

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And they weren't Ecam's eyes.

Numair Salmalín stood above Amanda. He looked as he had when she last had seen him three days ago. He was pale and gaunt, but his hair was tied up now, and his eyes now held despair within their fathomless depths. He was standing between her and Ecam, and somehow Amanda was no longer afraid.

"And it took me about half an hour after you left to realize that." He said softly to her, then he turned to Ecam, who, to Amanda's great surprise, was smiling.

"You won't be able to do any more then you wife, Salmalín." he said, "You know as well as I do that Kathedhios drains away any magic you may have left.

"You're right about that." Numair said quietly, the moonlight falling across his pale face. "It _does _drain magic." And he held up a hand shrouded in black fire. He smiled, and turned slowly to the horizon, where the faintest tinges of light had begun to creep across the sky. "But I guess not for me. Besides, Ecam, in case you haven't noticed…"

Ecam turned to face his greatest enemy, and for the first time, Amanda saw naked fear in his eyes. Numair nodded.

"It's midwinter." he said, and spoke his spell.

The world around Amanda was suddenly thrown into darkness, as black fire obscured her senses. Then, suddenly, as quickly as it had come, the magic was gone, blown away like tendrils of mist on a windy day. Numair stood above Ecam, who was lying on the ground, unmistakably dead.

Amanda got slowly to her feet.

"Numair?" he turned slowly around.

Their eyes met for a breathless moment, and then they were in each other's arms, not kissing, not speaking, desperate to know the other was all right. Then, finally, they let go, and Numair said, his voice slightly hoarse.

"I'm sorry I didn't come with you…I was…I shouldn't have…his voice trailed off.

"I know," Amanda said. "and _I'm_ sorry I said…all those things to you earlier…I though you didn't love me..."

"I'll love you forever." He said fiercely, and he bent down to kiss her sweetly. Amanda clung to him, as much from exhaustion as from surprise. She could never forget what his kisses felt like, the tingling sensation that spread throughout her body, the tender yet protective way he held her, and how much she loved him. When he stopped kissing her, they stood there for a moment, gazing into each other's faces. Then Amanda cleared her throat, and said softly,

"Well, Ecam's gone now. The war will end; I doubt his men will fight without him. Neraso will become king; we can finally go home in peace. We can go back to living _our_ lives, not someone else's. I can see Caroline and Maeve and Emily, again, and you can see Jon and Neraso and Alanna. We can live our lives together, and one day have children," she said uncertainly, and to her relief, Numair smiled. "and our children can have children, and we'll grow old together…forever…" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes," he said softly, brushing the stray tear from her cheek, "Even after we die. I'll never let you go again."

"I love you, Numair."

"I love you, Amanda."

There was a long silence, and then Amanda said hesitantly,

"We should probably get home, there's a lot of explaining to do." she said, grinning, and he nodded, and together they walked into the forest where the horses were tied, hand in hand, forgetting in their happiness that there were in fact two parts of the prophecy, and that one was still unfulfilled…

It is said that there are two parts of life, what is, and what should be, and that with ambition, hard work, and a little luck, perhaps once in a lifetime these two parts touch. And though for these two destined lovers, forever was so short, the time they had together was both what was and what should be.

And in the end, that is all that truly matters.


End file.
